B1 · Subordinate clauses · about 4 minutes
Conjunctions: embora, porque
« Although » takes a subjunctive; « despite » takes an infinitive that carries its own subject.
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Words you will need2
They appear in this topic’s examples and exercises and are new at this point on the learning path.
- apesar dedespite
- a esplanadathe pavement terrace
Missing a word? Look it up in the dictionary
Understand
Rememberembora needs a verb, apesar de an infinitive.
- Signal words
- porque
- embora
- apesar de
- para que
- assim que
The form
The forms and what they mean
Each row gives the meaning first, then the form in Portuguese.
| because it is raining | porque chove |
| although it is raining | embora chova |
| although it is raining (with infinitive) | apesar de chover |
| so that you know | para que saibas |
| before we leave | antes de sairmos |
| as soon as he arrives | assim que chegar |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is aboutThe word that calls for it
porque takes the indicative, and so does quando — except for the future.
Fiquei em casa porque estava a chover.I stayed at home because it was raining.
embora and para que take the Conjuntivo.
Embora esteja cansado, vou sair.Although I am tired, I am going out.
apesar de takes the infinitive.
Apesar de estar cansado, vou sair.Although I am tired, I am going out.
The personal infinitive names its subject.
Saímos antes de eles chegarem.We left before they arrived.
Example sentences
Vou levar o guarda-chuva, caso chova.I will take the umbrella in case it rains.
Telefono-te assim que chegar a casa.I will call you as soon as I get home.
Ele saiu sem que ninguém o visse.He left without anyone seeing him.
1 more example sentences
Apesar do frio, ficámos na esplanada.Despite the cold, we stayed on the terrace.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
Embora and apesar de both mean « although » and build the sentence differently. After embora comes a conjugated verb in the Conjuntivo, after apesar de an infinitive or a noun. Embora de chover and apesar de chova are both non-sentences.
Quick check
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Practise
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The full explanation
Read it all · about 1 min
The commonest ones take the indicative and are harmless: porque(because)quando(when)enquanto(while)assim que(as soon as)já que(since) When the future is meant, though, quando, enquanto and assim que take the futuro do conjuntivo: assim que chegar.
A second group demands the Conjuntivo, and that is where they have to be learnt: embora(although)para que(so that)a não ser que(unless)antes que(before)sem que(without)caso(in case)
Several of them have a twin with de plus infinitive, and that is the commoner one in everyday speech: apesar de chover instead of embora chova, antes de sair instead of antes que saia. English does exactly this with « despite raining » against « although it is raining », so the pairing is familiar.
What English cannot do is the next step. « Despite » plus -ing needs the subject to be understood; the moment it changes, English opens a clause. The personal infinitive carries the subject instead: antes de saírem — « before they leave ». That is the Portuguese trick that defuses this whole group.
The verbs on this page, in every form: sair · estar · ficar · chegar · ir · ver · chover