“A pesar de” in Spanish – Meaning and Use

Welcome 😊 to our grammar lesson on the Spanish phrase a pesar de.

a pesar de is one of the most frequent connectors in Spanish. In this lesson, we will learn its meaning and use, with example sentences.

At the end you’ll find a Quiz and an Exercise to practice.

Meaning of “a pesar de”

a pesar de means despite…, in spite of…

It introduces a partial obstacle that doesn’t stop an action from occurring.

Use

Sometimes, a pesar de introduces a noun or pronoun:

A pesar de la lluvia, vamos al parque.
Despite the rain, we go to the park.

A pesar de mis padres, he comprado la moto.
In spite of my parents, I’ve bought the motorcycle.

Lo hago a pesar de ti.
I do it in spite of you.

It can also introduce a verb in the infinitive:

A pesar de tener poco dinero, Pablo vive en un buen apartamento.
Despite having little money, Pablo lives in a good apartment.

A pesar de no hablar español, trabajamos en España.
Despite not speaking Spanish, we work in Spain.

Another possibility: it can introduce a sentence, with a conjugated verb (a verb not in the infinitive). But in this case, a pesar de becomes a pesar de que.

Let’s rephrase the two examples above, this time with a conjugated verb:

A pesar de que tiene poco dinero, Pablo vive en un buen apartamento.

A pesar de que no hablamos español, trabajamos en España.

“a pesar de eso”, “a pesar de todo”…

“a pesar de…” can introduce even more types of words, creating useful expressions, such as:

• a pesar de eso = despite that, in spite of that
• a pesar de todo = nevertheless, despite everything

Muchos bares están cerrados. A pesar de eso, vamos a salir.
Many bars are closed. In spite of that, we are going out.

Nuestros rivales son fuertes, pero ganaremos a pesar de todo.
Our rivals are strong, but we’ll win nevertheless.

Practice

Quiz

Take this short Quiz about “a pesar de”:

Exercise

Fill the gaps choosing between “a pesar de” and “a pesar de que”. Click on the gray spaces to see the solutions:

1) A pesar de ser ricos, no compramos cosas caras.
Despite being rich, we don’t buy expensive things.

2) A pesar de que somos ricos, no compramos cosas caras.
Despite being rich, we don’t buy expensive things.

3) A pesar de que tengo hambre, no voy a comer.
Despite being hungry, I’m not going to eat.

4) A pesar de tener hambre, no voy a comer.
Despite being hungry, I’m not going to eat.