Phrase · 🎚️ Nuance & positioning
Por pior que seja a notícia, é melhor saber logo.
However bad the news is, it's better to know right away.
C1expressing attitudesAudio · coming soon
Why every word is where it is
Por1prepositionhoweverpior1adjectivebad (lit. worse)fem. · sing.que1conjunction(that)seja1verbisser · subjunctive · present · 3rd sing.adeterminertheo · fem. · sing. · definitenotícia2nounnewsfem. · sing.,éverbit isser · present · 3rd sing.melhoradjectivebettermasc. · sing.saberverbto knowinfinitivelogo3adverbright away.
- Por → que: por… que
- que → seja: triggers subjunctive
- seja → notícia: subject–verb (postposed)
- melhor → saber: infinitive subject
Why it's built this way
The notes match the numbers above.
- 1Por pior que seja = "however bad it is": por + comparative + que + subjunctive. Also por melhor que. Concession & condition connectives →
- 2a notícia is one piece of news; as notícias = the news.
- 3logo = "right away, soon"; it doesn't mean "later".