Using 'A Pesar De'

Phrase commonly used to say 'despite' or 'even though'

skiing in Spain for lesson on the Spanish phrase "a pesar de"

Mikel Ortega/Flickr/CC BY-SA 2.0

A pesar de is one of the idioms that Spanish uses the most often to convey the idea of "in spite of" or "despite." A related phrase, a pesar de que, is often translated as "even though" or "even if."

Grammatically, these phrases are known as terms of concession, meaning that they are used to diminish the importance of what follows.

Pesar is the verb for "to weigh," but that isn't important here because the phrases have meanings of their own. The difference between a pesar de and a pesar de que is that the former acts as a preposition in that it is followed by an object such as a noun or pronoun, while the latter is followed by a clause (a subject followed by a verb).

Using A Pesar De

For example, see how a pesar de is followed by an object in these sentences:

  • El matrimonio es válido a pesar del error ortógrafico. (The marriage is valid despite the spelling mistake.)
  • A pesar de sus problemas, es fácil hablar con él. (In spite of his problems, it's easy to talk to him.)
  • Einstein era mal alumno a pesar de su inteligencia. (Einstein was a poor student despite his intelligence.)
  • A pesar de no estudiar, he aprobado el curso. (In spite of not studying, I have passed the course. Note that although estudiar is a verb, it can be an object because it is an infinitive functioning as a noun.)
  • A pesar del voto de este domingo la decisión final no está en manos de los puertorriqueños. (Despite the vote this Sunday, the final decision isn't in the hands of Puerto Ricans.)
  • Su sinceridad y su fortaleza, a pesar de sus dificultades, fueron una gran lección para mí. (Her sincerity and her strength of character, despite her difficulties, were a great lesson for me.)

Using A Pesar De Que

But a pesar de que is followed by a noun (or pronoun) with an accompanying verb. That verb should be in the subjunctive mood if the action of the sentence is hypothetical or has yet to occur.

  • Me gusta el esquiar a pesar de que el equipo de esquí es caro. (I like skiing even though ski gear is expensive.)
  • Fuimos a la playa a pesar de que hacía viento. (We went to the beach even though it was windy. Note that the subject of hacía is implied rather than specified.)
  • A pesar de que voy a clases de canto desde hace mucho tiempo, no puedo bailar. (Even though I've been going to classes since a long time ago, I can't dance.)
  • Casandra preferiría vivir con su hermano a pesar de que él sea pobre. (Casandra would prefer to live with her brother even if he is poor. Note that the subjunctive is used because of the hypothetical nature of the sentence.)
  • No puede ganar dinero a pesar de que va a cumplir 25 años en octubre. (He can't earn money even though he is going to be 25 years old in October.
  • Te extraño a pesar de que estamos juntos. (I miss you even thought we're together.)

Common Phrases Using A Pesar De

Two everyday phrases including a pesar de are shown in boldface in these sample sentences:

  • A pesar de los pesares, la tormenta ya no es una amenaza. (In spite of everything, the storm still isn't a threat.)
  • A pesar de todo seguimos adelante. (Despite everything, we're continuing forward.)

Two Related Phrases: Pese A, Pese A Que

The phrases pese a and pese a que can be used in the same way as their longer counterparts:

  • Pese a ello, la organización de las elecciones sigue siendo un campo de disputa. (Despite this, the organization of elections keeps on being a field of dispute.)
  • Dijo que pese a su fortuna, el dinero no es su principal motivación. (She said that despite her fortunate, money is not her principal motivation.)
  • Pese a que estaba roto el aire acondicionado, estuvimos un buen rato allí dentro. (Even though the air conditioning was broken, we were in there for a good while.)
  • La había completamente olvidado, pese a que vi la película un millón de veces. (I had completely forgotten the film, even though I had seen it a million times.)
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Erichsen, Gerald. "Using 'A Pesar De'." ThoughtCo, Apr. 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/using-a-pesar-de-3080210. Erichsen, Gerald. (2023, April 5). Using 'A Pesar De'. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/using-a-pesar-de-3080210 Erichsen, Gerald. "Using 'A Pesar De'." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/using-a-pesar-de-3080210 (accessed March 28, 2024).