embora vs apesar de
Portuguese word comparison
Listen to embora
Listen to apesar de
| embora | apesar de |
|---|---|
em-BO-ra conjunction | a-PEZAR jee conjunction |
| although; even though | despite; in spite of |
How they differ
Apesar de is not a direct clause equivalent of embora: it usually takes a noun, pronoun, or verb in the gerund/infinitive structure, not a full finite clause. It expresses the same concessive idea, but with a different grammar.
When to use each
When to use embora: Use embora when the concession is introduced by a full clause with a conjugated verb.
When to use apesar de: Use apesar de when you want to say "despite" before a noun phrase or a non-finite verb form.
Side-by-side examples
- Embora chova, vamos sair.
(Although it is raining, we are going out.) - Apesar da chuva, vamos sair.
(Despite the rain, we are going out.)
Register & nuance: Apesar de is neutral and very common in both speech and writing, but it differs from embora mainly in grammar rather than formality.