Question 1

Does não obstante always trigger the subjunctive?

Accepted Answer

Not always! It only requires the subjunctive when it acts as a conjunction introducing a new clause with a verb (e.g., Não obstante seres apto... meaning "Notwithstanding that you are apt..."). In this sentence, it acts as a preposition followed simply by a noun phrase (a tua aptidão). When followed directly by a noun, no verb is involved, so you don't need to worry about the subjunctive.

Question 2

Could I just use apesar de instead of não obstante in this sentence?

Accepted Answer

Yes, absolutely. You could say Apesar da tua aptidão, não cumpres os critérios. The difference is entirely about register. Não obstante is highly formal and literary, much like choosing "notwithstanding" instead of "despite" or "in spite of" in English.

Question 3

I learned cumprir as "to comply" or "to fulfill". Why is it translated as "meet" here?

Accepted Answer

While English speakers naturally say they "meet" requirements, expectations, or criteria, Portuguese doesn't use the verb "to meet" (encontrar or conhecer) in this context. Instead, the standard verb pairing (collocation) for these words is cumprir. So, cumprir os critérios literally means "to fulfill the criteria", which is how Portuguese expresses "meeting the criteria".

Question 4

Why is there an a before tua aptidão? Can I just say não obstante tua aptidão?

Accepted Answer

In European Portuguese, possessives like tua almost always require a definite article before them (a tua, o teu). While English drops the article (we just say "your aptitude", not "the your aptitude"), Portuguese keeps it. This rule applies even after formal prepositions, so não obstante a tua aptidão is the correct phrasing.

Não obstante a tua aptidão, não cumpres os critérios.

Breakdown of Não obstante a tua aptidão, não cumpres os critérios.

Questions & Answers about Não obstante a tua aptidão, não cumpres os critérios.

Learn Não obstante a tua aptidão, não cumpres os critérios and more in Portuguese