Breakdown of Eles não voltam para a tenda, apesar do vento forte.
não
not / no
eles
they (m)
voltar
to return
para
to / for
forte
strong
o vento
the wind
a tenda
the tent
apesar de
despite
Questions & Answers about Eles não voltam para a tenda, apesar do vento forte.
Why does the sentence use apesar do instead of just apesar de?
The phrase apesar de means 'despite' or 'in spite of'. Because we are talking about the strong wind, we need the definite article o before the masculine noun vento. In Portuguese, the preposition de merges with o to contract into do.
Could I use an action after apesar de instead of a noun like vento?
Yes! As you are learning in this lesson, apesar de can be followed by a noun phrase (like o vento forte) or by an infinitive verb (the basic, unconjugated dictionary form). For example, if you wanted to say 'despite raining', you would simply say apesar de chover.
Is it wrong to say voltam à tenda instead of voltam para a tenda?
Not at all! The verb voltar (to return) works with both prepositions. However, para often places a slightly stronger emphasis on the physical travel to the destination, or implies that they will stay there for a longer period. À (which is the contraction of a + a) is also perfectly natural here.
Does the adjective forte change if it describes a feminine noun?
No, it doesn't! Descriptive adjectives generally come after the noun they describe, but because forte (strong) ends in an -e, it is a gender-neutral adjective. This means it stays exactly the same whether the noun is masculine or feminine. It only changes if the noun is plural, becoming fortes.
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