Breakdown of A pesar de que la marea baje, el barco puede flotar.
el barco
boat
poder
to be able to / can
bajar
to go down / to lower
a pesar de que
even though / despite the fact that (stronger concession)
la marea
tide
flotar
to float
Questions & Answers about A pesar de que la marea baje, el barco puede flotar.
Why is baje in the subjunctive here instead of the indicative baja?
After a pesar de que, we use the subjunctive (like baje) when we are talking about a hypothetical situation or a future event we aren't sure about. It translates to "Even if the tide goes down." If we used the indicative baja, it would state a known fact: "Even though the tide is going down."
Doesn't a pesar de que usually mean "even though"? Why is it translated as "even if" here?
You are right that it often means "even though" or "despite the fact that." However, because it is paired with the subjunctive here, the event hasn't happened yet or is just a possibility. In English, we naturally express this hypothetical idea by saying "even if."
Could I drop the que and just say a pesar de la marea baje?
No, you need the que here. You use a pesar de que when introducing a clause with a conjugated verb, like baje. If you drop the que, you can only follow a pesar de with a noun or an infinitive verb, like in a pesar de la marea (despite the tide).
Is the verb bajar the standard way to talk about the tide?
Yes! In Spanish, you use subir for the tide coming in (going up) and bajar for the tide going out (going down).
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