No atinente à evidências

You use this phrase to introduce a specific topic. Usually, that topic is evidence or proof in a formal setting. It acts as a bridge between your general statement and the specific facts. Think of it as a signpost in a long, boring document. It tells the reader: "Pay attention, the proof is coming next." You place it at the beginning of a sentence or a clause. It is followed by the noun it refers to. Because it is so formal, you must ensure the rest of your sentence is also formal. Mixing this with slang is like wearing flip-flops with a tuxedo. It just doesn't work. Use it when you need to be indisputable.

This phrase is at the very top of the formality scale. It is 'Very Formal.' You will never hear this at a backyard barbecue. If you used it while ordering pizza, the delivery driver might think you're a robot. It belongs in the world of 'Juridiquês' (Portuguese legalese). This is the language of judges, lawyers, and serious scholars. In a business Zoom call, it signals that you are moving into the 'official' part of the meeting. It creates a professional distance between you and the subject. It is polite but cold. It says, "I am here for business, not for coffee."

You might see this in a news report about a high-profile court case. For instance: "No atinente à evidências apresentadas, o juiz decidiu adiar o julgamento." This means "Regarding the evidence presented, the judge decided to postpone the trial." You might also find it in a formal email from a human resources department. If they are investigating a workplace incident, they might write: "No atinente à evidências de conduta imprópria, tomaremos medidas." It shows up in academic theses too. A student might write it when discussing data results. It is the bread and butter of formal Brazilian bureaucracy.

Use it when writing a formal letter to a government agency. It is perfect for legal contracts or terms of service. If you are writing a master's thesis in law or social sciences, this phrase is your friend. Use it in a job interview if the role is very corporate and traditional. It works well in written reports where you need to be extremely precise. If you are defending yourself against a claim, it makes you sound serious and prepared. It is great for summarizing complex findings in a structured way. Use it when you want to sound authoritative and scholarly.

Do not use this with your friends on WhatsApp. They will think you've been hacked by a 19th-century lawyer. Avoid it in casual emails to colleagues you see every day. It is too stiff for a first date unless you are dating a dictionary. Don't use it in social media captions unless you are being intentionally ironic. It is not suitable for creative writing unless your character is a stiff bureaucrat. If you can say sobre or em relação a, do that instead in 99% of situations. Using it too much makes your writing hard to read. It can come across as 'trying too hard' if used incorrectly.

One big mistake is the 'crase' (the accent on the à). Technically, No atinente a is the preposition. If you follow it with a plural word like evidências, you either use no article (No atinente a evidências) or a plural article (No atinente às evidências). Using à (singular) before evidências (plural) is a common grammar slip-up in Brazil.

Another mistake is using it for casual things.

You will often hear No que tange a or No que se refere a. These are equally formal but slightly more common in modern business. Relativamente a is another sibling. In Portugal, you might hear No que diz respeito a more often. Some people use Quanto a, which is a bit lighter but still professional. If you want to be even more old-school, you could use Concernente a. All of these perform the same function: they point at something and say, "Let's talk about this specific part now."

Is it common? No, it is rare and very formal. Can I use it in an email? Only if it's a very formal one to a stranger or authority. Is it used in Portugal? Yes, though they have other favorites like Relativamente a. Does it always refer to physical evidence? Not always, it can refer to any kind of proof or data. Is it plural? Yes, evidências is plural, but the phrase works for the concept of proof in general. Can I use it in speech? Only in a speech or a formal presentation.