Breakdown of Apesar de lavarmos o convés, os remos estão sujos.
estar
to be (temporary / location)
sujo
dirty
lavar
to wash
apesar de
despite
o convés
the deck
o remo
the oar
Questions & Answers about Apesar de lavarmos o convés, os remos estão sujos.
Why do we use lavarmos here instead of just lavar?
The phrase apesar de (despite) is followed by an infinitive. Because the subject of the first half (us washing) is different from the subject of the second half (the oars being dirty), we must use the Personal Infinitive to clarify who is doing the washing. Lavarmos is the "we" form of the infinitive lavar.
Can I say embora instead of apesar de in this sentence?
Yes, but it changes the grammar. The phrase apesar de is a preposition, so it is always followed by an infinitive like lavarmos. If you use embora (even though), it triggers the subjunctive mood, so the sentence would become Embora lavemos o convés, os remos estão sujos.
Why do we use estão sujos instead of são sujos?
Lavarmos looks exactly like the future subjunctive. How do I know which one it is?
For regular verbs like lavar, the personal infinitive and the future subjunctive share the exact same spelling. The giveaway is the word that comes before it. The preposition de in apesar de always requires an infinitive. The future subjunctive is typically triggered by conjunctions like quando (when) or se (if).
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