ramo jepe

Even Though: Ramo Jepe

Level 4

Ramo jepe means “even though”: Ñanderetáramo jepe, peteĩnte “Even though we are many, we are one”.

How It Works

Use ramo jepe for “even though” and “even if”. The first clause is the thing that could be an obstacle. The main clause says what happens anyway.

Build the first clause with the ending -ramo, then add the separate word jepe:

  • Okýramo jepe, aháta mboʼehaópe “Even though it rains, I will go to school”.
  • Chekaneʼõramo jepe, ambaʼapóta “Even though I am tired, I will work”.

In this use -ramo is unstressed, so the stress stays on the root and shows as an accent: okýramo. The accent also tells it apart from the stressed word ramo “just now”: aháramo “if I go” and aharamo “I just went”. Some books, including the grammar by Estigarribia, leave a space before ramo (Ñandereta ramo jepe).

The same ending -ramo makes plain “if” clauses. Adding jepe turns “if” into “even if”. The Academy grammar also lists jepéramo as a word that joins two sentences with the meaning “but”.

Examples (4)

  1. Ñanderetáramo jepe, peteĩnte.

    Even though we are many, we are one.

    Ñandereta is “we are many”. The ending -ramo and the word jepe give “even though”.

  2. Okýramo jepe, aháta mboʼehaópe.

    Even though it rains, I will go to school.

    Oky is “it rains”. The accent on ý shows that the stress stays on the verb.

  3. Chekaneʼõramo jepe, ambaʼapóta.

    Even though I am tired, I will work.

    Chekaneʼõ is “I am tired”. The tilde marks the stress, so no accent is added.

  4. Ndachekatupyrýiramo jepe che ñeʼẽme, ndaupéichai hína che mbaʼekuaápe.

    Even though I am not skilled in my speech, it is not so for my knowledge.

    The first clause is negative, with the frame nda-…-i around the verb. Then come -ramo and jepe.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving out the accent before -ramo.

    Okyramo jepe, aháta mboʼehaópe.
    Okýramo jepe, aháta mboʼehaópe.

    The unstressed -ramo leaves the stress on ký, so the word needs its accent. Without it, the word looks like the stressed ramo “just now”.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

ramo jepeLevel 4Even Though: Ramo Jepe

Learn This First

Ramo jepe builds on -ramo, so the if-and-when ending comes first.

Words in This Pattern

ramojepe