"Despite" and "In Spite Of" (-e rağmen)
To express "despite" or "in spite of" in Turkish, use the postposition rağmen.
This word always requires the preceding noun or pronoun to take the dative case. Simply attach the dative suffix (-a, -e, -ya, or -ye) to the obstacle or condition, followed by the word rağmen.
| Despite the rain, we are going outside. | Yağmura rağmen dışarı çıkıyoruz. |
| Despite the bad conditions, we are working. | Kötü şartlara rağmen çalışıyoruz. |
| Despite the danger, he is smiling. | Tehlikeye rağmen gülümsüyor. |
With Possessive Suffixes
When you want to say "despite my warning" or "despite his fatigue," the dative suffix attaches after the possessive suffix.
Remember that when adding case endings to the third-person possessive suffix (his/her/its/their), you must insert the buffer letter -n- (e.g., yorgunluğuna).
| Despite my warning, he is going to school. | Benim uyarıma rağmen okula gidiyor. |
| Despite his fatigue, he is not resting at all. | Yorgunluğuna rağmen hiç dinlenmiyor. |
| Despite her illness, she is preparing dinner. | Hastalığına rağmen akşam yemeği hazırlıyor. |
Obstacles and Resistance
Rağmen is incredibly useful for describing people pushing through social pressure, objections, or setbacks.
| Despite the objections, the manager is confirming the decision. | İtirazlara rağmen müdür kararı onaylıyor. |
| Despite society's pressure, they are not giving up. | Toplumun baskısına rağmen vazgeçmiyorlar. |
Multiple Conditions
If you are listing multiple obstacles (e.g., "despite the pain and the defeat"), you must attach the dative suffix to every noun in the list. The word rağmen appears only once at the very end of the list.
| Despite the pain and the defeat, the players did not give up. | Ağrıya ve yenilgiye rağmen oyuncular pes etmedi. |
| Despite the warnings, objections, and reactions, the manager did not change the decision. | Uyarılara, itirazlara ve tepkilere rağmen müdür kararı değiştirmedi. |