Breakdown of A pesar de que el sacerdote es estricto, la boda religiosa será hermosa.
ser
to be
hermoso
beautiful (handsome, lovely)
estricto
strict
la boda
the wedding
a pesar de que
even though / despite the fact that (stronger concession)
el sacerdote
priest
religioso
religious
Questions & Answers about A pesar de que el sacerdote es estricto, la boda religiosa será hermosa.
Why do we use the indicative es instead of the subjunctive sea after a pesar de que?
In concessive clauses, using the indicative means you are stating an established, known fact. The speaker knows for certain that the priest is strict. If they had used the subjunctive (sea), it would change the meaning to a hypothetical: 'Even if the priest is strict (which I don't know for sure), the wedding will be beautiful.'
Could I use pese a que in this sentence instead?
Yes, Pese a que el sacerdote es estricto... means the exact same thing. Both translate to 'even though' or 'despite the fact that.' A pesar de que is just slightly more common in everyday speech, whereas pese a que can sound a touch more formal.
Is it possible to drop the que and just say A pesar de el sacerdote es estricto?
No, you must include que when introducing a clause with a conjugated verb like es. You only drop the que when following it directly with a noun or an infinitive verb. For example, you could say A pesar del sacerdote estricto (Despite the strict priest) or A pesar de ser estricto (Despite being strict).
What is the difference between sacerdote and cura?
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