Superheroes rarely rely on just one ability. When analyzing their multifaceted powers or secret identities, you need a way to say "in addition to" or "besides".
Expressing Addition: Além de and Para além de
In Portuguese, to say "in addition to" or "besides", you can use além de or para além de. Both expressions mean the same thing and are interchangeable.
To talk about actions—such as "in addition to having superhuman strength" or "besides being telepathic"—pair these expressions with the Personal Infinitive.
The Personal Infinitive
Unlike English, Portuguese has an infinitive that conjugates to match the subject. This is incredibly useful after prepositions like de (which is part of além de), because it clarifies exactly who is performing the extra action.
| In addition to being fast, we are telepathic. | Para além de sermos rápidos, somos telepáticos. |
| In addition to having superhuman agility, you can also fly. | Além de teres agilidade sobre-humana, também podes voar. |
Sentence Placement
Clauses of addition can sit at the beginning or the end of the sentence. Notice how the personal infinitive matches the subject in the main clause in either position:
| In addition to having X-ray vision, they heal the city. | Para além de terem visão de raio-X, eles curam a cidade. |
| They have superhuman strength, in addition to having an alter ego. | Elas têm uma força sobre-humana, para além de terem um alter ego. |
| They can teleport, in addition to being invulnerable. | Eles podem teletransportar-se, além de serem invulneráveis. |