Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): Mesmo que a próxima crise seja diferente, a ciência e a medicina vão continuar a salvar vidas. - Even if the next crisis is different, science and medicine will continue to save lives.

After mesmo que (even if / even though), Portuguese normally uses the subjunctive, because it introduces something hypothetical, uncertain, or just not presented as a fact.

Mesmo que a próxima crise seja diferente
= Even if the next crisis is different (we don’t know yet; it’s hypothetical).

If you said:

Mesmo que a próxima crise é diferente – incorrect in standard Portuguese.
Mesmo que a próxima crise será diferente – also incorrect with mesmo que.

To talk about a real, known fact, you’d usually change the connector:

Embora a próxima crise seja diferente... (even though the next crisis is different…) – still subjunctive.
Como a próxima crise é diferente... (since the next crisis is different…) – now indicative, because it’s presented as a fact.

What exactly does mesmo que mean here? Is it “even if” or “even though”?

Mesmo que can correspond to both even if and even though, depending on context:

When the situation is hypothetical or not certain, English usually says even if:
Mesmo que a próxima crise seja diferente...
→ Even if the next crisis is different...
When the situation is presented as real/true, English often says even though. In that case, Portuguese can still use mesmo que with the subjunctive, but more common choices are embora or ainda que.

In this sentence, it’s about a future crisis that may or may not be different, so even if is the more natural English equivalent.

Why is there a comma after diferente?

In Portuguese, when a sentence starts with a subordinate clause (like the mesmo que clause), it is normally followed by a comma:

Mesmo que a próxima crise seja diferente, a ciência e a medicina vão continuar a salvar vidas.

If you invert the order and start with the main clause, the comma usually disappears:

A ciência e a medicina vão continuar a salvar vidas mesmo que a próxima crise seja diferente.

So the comma is there because the dependent clause comes first.

Why is it a próxima crise and not just próxima crise?

Portuguese uses definite articles much more than English.

A próxima crise literally is the next crisis, but in English we sometimes say simply next crisis without the. In Portuguese:

a próxima crise – normal, idiomatic.
próxima crise without the article sounds incomplete or too telegraphic (e.g. in headlines, notes).

In ordinary sentences, you almost always need the article:

A próxima semana vai ser difícil.
(Not: Próxima semana vai ser difícil. in standard usage.)

Why is crise feminine, and how can I tell?

In a próxima crise, both a and próxima are feminine forms, so crise is treated as feminine:

feminine article: a
feminine adjective: próxima

There’s no simple rule that makes crise obviously feminine; you just have to learn its gender. Many abstract nouns ending in -e can be either masculine or feminine (o leite, a fome, etc.).

Clues:

Dictionaries mark gender: crise (f.)
The determiners and adjectives tell you the gender in context:
esta crise, grande crise, a próxima crise → all feminine.

Why is it vão continuar a salvar and not just continuarão a salvar?

Both are grammatically correct:

vão continuar a salvar vidas
continuarão a salvar vidas

Vão continuar (future with ir + infinitive) is the periphrastic future and is much more common in modern Portuguese, especially in speech. It feels more natural and conversational.

Continuarão is the synthetic future tense. It’s correct but sounds more formal or written, and is less frequent in everyday European Portuguese.

Why is the verb plural (vão) instead of singular (vai)?

The subject is a ciência e a medicina – that’s two nouns joined by e, so it’s a plural subject:

a ciência (singular)
a medicina (singular)
a ciência e a medicina (together → plural)

Therefore, the verb must be in the 3rd person plural:

A ciência e a medicina vão continuar a salvar vidas.
(Not: vai continuar)

Why do we say vão continuar a salvar and not vão continuar salvando?

European Portuguese prefers:

continuar a + infinitive
→ vão continuar a salvar vidas

Brazilian Portuguese very often uses:

continuar + gerúndio
→ vão continuar salvando vidas

In Portugal, vão continuar salvando is grammatical but sounds Brazilian. The a + infinitive construction is the standard and most natural option in European Portuguese.

Why is it a salvar and not para salvar?

After verbs like continuar, começar, passar (a), European Portuguese usually uses a + infinitive to express an ongoing or subsequent action:

continuar a trabalhar – to continue working
começar a chover – to start raining

So:

vão continuar a salvar vidas – they will carry on saving lives.

Para + infinitive usually expresses purpose/goal:

Trabalham para salvar vidas. – They work in order to save lives.

Here the meaning is keep on saving, not in order to save, so a salvar is the right choice.

Could we say vão continuar a salvar as vidas with as?

No, not in this general sense.

Vidas here means lives in general, an indefinite group. In Portuguese, when talking about things in a general, non-specific way, you often omit the article:

salvar vidas – save lives (people’s lives in general)

If you say as vidas, it sounds like a specific, known set of lives:

salvar as vidas dos passageiros – save the passengers’ lives

So the natural general expression is salvar vidas, without as.

Can we move mesmo que a próxima crise seja diferente to the end of the sentence?

Yes. Both orders are correct:

Mesmo que a próxima crise seja diferente, a ciência e a medicina vão continuar a salvar vidas.
A ciência e a medicina vão continuar a salvar vidas, mesmo que a próxima crise seja diferente.

The meaning is the same. The difference is emphasis and style:

Starting with mesmo que... highlights the condition or contrast first.
Putting it at the end focuses first on the main assertion (a ciência e a medicina vão continuar...).

Is there any difference between vão continuar a salvar vidas and continuarão a salvar vidas in meaning?

Very little difference in meaning. Both express future continuity:

vão continuar a salvar vidas – will continue to save lives
continuarão a salvar vidas – will continue to save lives

The main difference is:

vão continuar: more common, more colloquial and neutral.
continuarão: more formal, more typical of written language, announcements, news, or formal speeches.

In everyday European Portuguese speech, vão continuar a salvar vidas is by far the more natural choice.

Why is it a ciência e a medicina instead of just ciência e medicina?

Portuguese tends to use definite articles with abstract nouns when they refer to them as general domains or institutions:

A ciência está em constante evolução. – Science is in constant evolution.
A medicina salvou muitas vidas. – Medicine has saved many lives.

Leaving out the articles (Ciência e medicina vão continuar...) is possible in titles, headlines, or very telegraphic style, but in a normal sentence it sounds incomplete. The articles make the sentence sound natural and idiomatic.