a pesar de que/pese a que
Despite (Concessive)
Use 'a pesar de que' or 'pese a que' to mean 'despite the fact that' or 'even though'.
How It Works
'A pesar de que' and 'pese a que', which is common in formal writing, are concessive conjunctions. They connect a main clause with a subordinate clause that presents an obstacle or a surprising contrast. The key to using them correctly is choosing the right verb mood: indicative or subjunctive.
1. With the Indicative Mood
Use the indicative when the information in the subordinate clause is a known fact, an accepted reality, or something the speaker presents as true.
- A pesar de que llovía, salimos a pasear. (Despite the fact that it was raining, we went for a walk.) -> It was a fact that it was raining.
- Pese a que está cansado, sigue trabajando. (Even though he is tired, he keeps working.) -> His tiredness is a present reality.
2. With the Subjunctive Mood
Use the subjunctive when the information in the subordinate clause is:
- Hypothetical or not yet a fact: Often refers to the future.
Iremos a la playa a pesar de que haga frío. (We will go to the beach even if it's cold.) -> It's not a fact that it will be cold; it's a possibility. - Conceded or set aside as an obstacle:
Lo haré a pesar de que no te guste. (I'll do it even if you don't like it.) -> The speaker acknowledges the other person's potential dislike but dismisses its importance.
Note: Do not confuse 'a pesar de que' with 'a pesar de'.
- a pesar de que + clause (conjugated verb): A pesar de que estudió...
- a pesar de + noun/infinitive: A pesar del examen... / A pesar de estudiar...
This mood choice is very similar to the one used with aunque.
Known Facts Can Be Conceded
A pesar de que lo sepas, voy a explicarlo can acknowledge that you already know it while insisting on explaining it anyway. Subjunctive need not deny that knowledge.
Future Indicative Is Possible
A pesar de que hará mal tiempo mañana, el evento no se cancela presents tomorrow’s bad weather as a forecast the speaker asserts. Haga can instead set the weather aside as a possible or conceded obstacle. Both are grammatical; choose the intended stance, not a mechanical future-time rule.
Pese A
Pese a also combines with a noun or infinitive: pese al frío; pese a estar cansado. Before a finite clause, use pese a que. In these expressions, que is a conjunction, not a relative pronoun.
Examples (5)
- A pesar de que estaba muy cansado, terminó el proyecto.
Despite the fact that he was very tired, he finished the project.
Word by Word: Despite that he was very tired, he finished the project.
The indicative 'estaba' is used because his tiredness is presented as a known fact.
- Pese a que el examen fue difícil, creo que aprobé.
Even though the exam was difficult, I think I passed.
Word by Word: Despite that the exam was difficult, I believe that I passed.
Pese a que is common in formal writing. Fue presents the exam’s difficulty as an assertion.
- Voy a salir a correr a pesar de que llueva.
I'm going to go for a run even if it rains.
Word by Word: I am going to go out to run despite that it may rain.
In the intended “even if” reading, llueva treats rain as a possibility. The same form can concede known rain in another context; it does not prove that it is not raining now.
- A pesar de que me lo pidas mil veces, no cambiaré de opinión.
Even if you ask me a thousand times, I won't change my mind.
Word by Word: Despite that you may ask me it a thousand times, I will not change of opinion.
The subjunctive 'pidas' is used because the speaker is treating the requests as hypothetical or irrelevant to their decision.
- Compró el coche a pesar de que no tenía suficiente dinero.
He bought the car despite the fact that he didn't have enough money.
Word by Word: He bought the car despite that he did not have enough money.
The indicative 'tenía' is used to state a fact about his financial situation at that time.
Common Mistakes
Using future indicative when the intended reading leaves tomorrow’s weather open.
Different MeaningA pesar de que hará mal tiempo mañana, el evento no se cancela.A pesar de que haga mal tiempo mañana, el evento no se cancela.For the intended “even if” reading that does not assert tomorrow’s weather, haga fits. Hará is grammatical when the speaker asserts a forecast instead. Future reference by itself does not require subjunctive.
Confusing 'a pesar de que' (with a clause) and 'a pesar de' (with a noun/infinitive).
Fuimos a la playa a pesar de que el frío.Fuimos a la playa a pesar del frío.'A pesar de que' must be followed by a clause with a conjugated verb (e.g., 'a pesar de que hacía frío'). 'A pesar de' is followed by a noun ('el frío') or an infinitive ('hacer frío').
How It Connects
Learn This First
To learn 'a pesar de que' and 'pese a que', learners must understand how concessive connectors function in Spanish. This includes knowing when to use the indicative (for known facts) versus the subjunctive (for hypothetical or unshared information), a logic shared with 'aunque'. Additionally, familiarity with basic prepositions and the use of 'que' to link clauses is required to form the expression correctly.
- aunque + Indicative/SubjunctiveAunque Mood Choice
Understanding concessive clauses and the logic of choosing between indicative and subjunctive based on the reality of the fact is essential for using 'a pesar de que'.
Level 3 - a/de/en/con/sinBasic Prepositions
The connector is built using the basic prepositions 'a' and 'de', which are fundamental to its structure.
Foundations - queRelative Pronoun Que
The use of 'que' as a conjunction to introduce a subordinate clause is a core component of this multi-word connector.
Level 3
Related Patterns
- por más/mucho que + SubjunctiveConcessive Clauses
Por mucho/más que emphasizes the degree of an obstacle. Subjunctive commonly presents hypothetical or conceded obstacles; indicative can report actual repeated efforts.
Level 4 - sin embargo/no obstanteHowever/Nevertheless
These are concessive adverbs meaning 'however' or 'nevertheless'. They express contrast like 'a pesar de que', but they connect two independent sentences or clauses, rather than creating a subordinate clause.
Level 5 - a menos que/sin que/con tal de que + SubjunctiveSubjunctive Conjunctions
These are other conjunctions that introduce subordinate clauses and require the subjunctive. Comparing them helps clarify the specific concessive function of 'a pesar de que' versus expressing a condition ('a menos que') or manner ('sin que').
Level 3
Words in This Pattern
Practice a pesar de que/pese a que in Bubblegum
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