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### No matter how much

When you want to express that an outcome won't change regardless of the effort applied, you can use the expressions **por mais que** or **por muito que** ("no matter how much"). 

Because these phrases describe a hypothetical degree of effort or an extreme condition, they always trigger the **subjunctive** mood.

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You can also use **por muito que**, which is completely interchangeable with **por mais que**.

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These clauses are flexible and can appear at the beginning of the sentence or in the second half. Notice how we use the subjunctive form of *estar* (*esteja*) in the next example:

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### Hitting the waves

Let's combine this grammar with some vocabulary about the physical challenges of surfing. You will need to know about **a prancha** (the surfboard) and the reflexive verb **equilibrar-se** (to balance oneself). 

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To catch a wave, you also need to paddle (**remar**).

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It is completely normal to fall off the board. The trick is not to get discouraged (**desanimar**), even if you happen to swallow (**engolir**) a little saltwater!

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No matter how much (por mais que)

adjective

adverb

conjunction

contraction

determiner

interjection

noun

numeral

particle

phrase

prefix

prep

preposition

pron

pronoun

sentence

verb

Demonstratives and the verb to be (isto é, o, a)

Subject pronouns and negation (eu, não)

Yes/no questions and question words (quem, o que)

Plural pronouns, articles, and verbs (somos, são, os, as)

Origin and possession (de, do, da)

Introductions (chamar-se)

Indefinite articles (um, uma, uns, umas)

The verb to be for locations (estar)

Contrasting the two verbs to be (ser vs. estar)

Preposition for locations (em, no, na)

Numbers 0 to 10 (zero, um, dois)

The verb to have (tenho, tem)

Regular -ar verbs (falar, trabalhar)

Regular -er verbs (comer, beber)

Regular -ir verbs (abrir, partir)

My, your, and our (o meu, a nossa)

His, hers, and theirs (dele, dela)

Adjective agreement and placement

Days of the week (segunda-feira)

Months of the year (janeiro)

Counting by tens to 100 (trinta, quarenta...)

Telling time (é uma, são...)

Asking about time (quando, a que horas)

The verb to go (ir)

Prepositions of direction (a, para)

Preposition a contractions (ao, à, aos, às)

Prepositions of place (ao lado de, em frente de...)

Demonstratives (este, esse, aquele)

Contractions with demonstratives (neste, desse, daquele)

Asking which and how many (qual, quanto)

Plurals ending in -ão (-ões, -ãos, -ães)

Plurals ending in consonants (-ns, -is, -es)

The verb to like (gostar de)

The verb to need (precisar de)

The verb to want (querer)

The verb can or may (poder)

Expressing obligation (ter de)

Adverbs of degree (muito, pouco)

Quantifiers (muito, pouco)

Comparatives (mais... do que, menos... do que)

Equality comparisons (tão... como)

The preposition com (comigo, contigo)

Coordinating conjunctions (e, mas, ou, porque)

The preposition por (pelo, pela)

Double negation (nunca, nada, ninguém)

Present continuous (estar a)

Near future (ir)

Past tense of regular -ar verbs

Past tense of regular -er and -ir verbs

Past tense of ser and ir (fui, foi)

Direct object pronouns (me, te, o, a, nos, os, as)

Pronoun placement with negatives and questions

Greetings and courtesy (bom dia, obrigado)

Physical states with ter (ter fome, ter frio)

Asking the way (à direita, sempre em frente)

Colours (vermelho, amarelo, cor-de-rosa)

Money and shopping (custar, a moeda)

Getting around (o motorista, a paragem de autocarro)

Weather and seasons (faz calor, o inverno)

Omitting the subject pronoun

Where things are: ficar (Onde fica...?)

Richer questions: que + noun and é que

Numbers above 100 (cento e vinte, mil)

First-person sound changes (durmo, prefiro)

Advice and ability: dever and saber

Asking why: porquê and porque

When one thing happens: quando-clauses

Here and there: aqui, aí, ali (cá e lá)

Formal and plural possessives: o seu, o vosso

Irregular presents: ver, vir, dar

Present irregulars

Reflexive verbs (me, te, se, nos)

Stem-changing reflexives

Attached object pronouns (-lo, -la, -los, -las)

Nasal attached pronouns (-no, -na, -nos, -nas)

Pronoun placement with adverbs

Past tense of fazer, dizer, and trazer

Past tense of ter, estar, poder, and saber

Past tense of querer and vir

Past tense of ver, dar, and ler

Past tense reflexive verbs (-se)

Time elapsed in the past (há)

Question	Answer
no matter how much	por mais que
the surfing	o surf
No matter how much I train, surfing is difficult.	Por mais que eu treine, o surf é difícil.
no matter how much	por muito que
No matter how much you try, surfing demands a lot of effort.	Por muito que tentes, o surf exige muito esforço.
to surf	surfar
I want to surf, no matter how dangerous the sea is.	Eu quero surfar, por mais que o mar esteja perigoso.
We love to surf, no matter how cold the water is.	Nós adoramos surfar, por muito que a água esteja fria.
to balance oneself	equilibrar-se
the surfboard / the board	a prancha
No matter how much I balance myself, the surfboard turns.	Por mais que eu me equilibre, a prancha vira.
the balance	o equilíbrio
Is it possible to keep your balance on the surfboard?	Dá para manter o equilíbrio na prancha?
to paddle	remar
No matter how much you paddle, balance is essential.	Por muito que remes, o equilíbrio é essencial.
You have to paddle faster, no matter how much it hurts.	Tens de remar mais depressa, por mais que doa.
to get discouraged	desanimar
You cannot get discouraged when you fall off the surfboard.	Não podes desanimar quando cais da prancha.
No matter how much you get discouraged, try to paddle again.	Por muito que desanimes, tenta remar outra vez.
to swallow	engolir
I swallow a lot of water, but I do not get discouraged.	Eu engulo muita água, mas não desanimo.
No matter how much water you swallow, the sea is beautiful.	Por mais que engulas água, o mar é lindo.
He swallows water no matter how much he tries to close his mouth.	Ele engole água por muito que tente fechar a boca.
Is it possible to surf with this surfboard?	Dá para surfar com esta prancha?
No matter how cold you get, you want to surf.	Por mais que tenhas frio, queres surfar.
Everything is difficult, no matter how much you try to learn.	Tudo é difícil, por mais que tentes aprender.
I feel tired, no matter how well I balance myself.	Eu sinto-me cansado, por mais que me equilibre bem.
No matter how much you go to the beach, you do not surf.	Por muito que vocês vão à praia, não surfam.
She doesn't lose her balance, no matter how strong the sea is.	Ela não perde o equilíbrio, por mais que o mar esteja forte.
Is it possible not to swallow water when we fall?	Dá para não engolir água quando caímos?
We get discouraged no matter how much the teacher explains.	Nós desanimamos por muito que o professor explique.
No matter how much you want to, you never control the wave.	Por mais que queiras, nunca controlas a onda.
to stand, to endure	aguentar
However hard I try, I can't stand the heat.	Por mais que tente, não aguento o calor.
This bridge bears the weight of the truck.	Esta ponte aguenta o peso do camião.

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