No que concerne à fundamentação

You use this phrase to introduce a specific focus on the 'why' of a situation. It is almost always followed by a detailed explanation of rules, laws, or data. Think of it as a pointer. You are telling your reader or listener: "Stop looking at the result for a second; let's look at the roots." Grammatically, it functions as a complex prepositional phrase. Because concerne requires the preposition a, and fundamentação is a feminine noun, you must use the à (with the crase accent). Forget that little accent, and a Portuguese teacher somewhere will lose their wings. It is common to see this at the start of a sentence to set the stage for a rebuttal or a clarification in a business email or a thesis.

This is as formal as it gets. We are talking level 10 out of 10. You will never hear someone say this while ordering a pão de queijo at a bakery—unless they are trying to sue the baker for a lack of cheese, which would be a very sad day for everyone. It belongs in courtrooms, formal letters, academic journals, and high-stakes corporate meetings. If you use this with your friends on WhatsApp, they will probably ask if you’ve been replaced by a bot or if you’ve finally finished that law degree you’ve been talking about for years. It’s the linguistic equivalent of wearing a three-piece suit to a beach party: impressive, but maybe a bit much for the occasion.

Imagine a lawyer writing a response to a judge: No que concerne à fundamentação da sentença, acreditamos que houve um erro de interpretação. (Regarding the reasoning of the sentence, we believe there was an error in interpretation). Or think of a tech company updating their Terms of Service: No que concerne à fundamentação das novas regras de privacidade, seguimos as diretrizes da LGPD. (Regarding the basis for the new privacy rules, we follow the LGPD guidelines). You might even see it in a grumpy LinkedIn post from a professional complaining about a lack of logic in a recent industry trend. It’s the phrase people reach for when they want to sound like the most serious person in the Zoom room.

Use it when you need to be precise and authoritative. If you are writing a university essay, this phrase is your best friend. It shows you have a high level of Portuguese and understand how to structure a formal argument. It’s also perfect for professional emails where you need to disagree with someone without being rude. By focusing on the fundamentação (the reasoning) rather than the person, you keep the conversation professional. Use it when you are discussing legal matters, technical specifications, or philosophical arguments. It tells people, "I have done my homework, and I am about to explain exactly why I am right."

Avoid this phrase in any casual setting. Do not use it while texting your crush, talking to your cat, or commenting on a funny TikTok video. If you say, No que concerne à fundamentação do nosso jantar, eu quero pizza, you are going to get some very strange looks. It is also too heavy for simple instructions. If you are telling a colleague how to use the coffee machine, stick to sobre or quanto a. Overusing this phrase in a semi-formal setting can make you come across as pretentious or "pomposo." Use it like a strong spice: a little goes a long way, and too much ruins the dish.

One of the most frequent errors is forgetting the crase. Because concerne demands a and fundamentação is a fundamentação, they merge into à. Another mistake is using it for things that don't actually have a "foundation." You can't really talk about the fundamentação of a sunset or a flavor of ice cream—those are subjective, not logical.

• ✗ No que concerne a fundamentação → ✓ No que concerne à fundamentação
• ✗ No que concerne à fundamentação do meu café → ✓ Quanto ao meu café
• ✗ No que concerne à fundamentação da minha raiva → ✓ O motivo da minha raiva
• ✗ No que concerne à fundamentação de ontem → ✓ Em relação ao que aconteceu ontem

If you want to vary your language so you don't sound like a broken legal record, you have options. No que tange à fundamentação is a very popular synonym in legal circles (using the verb tanger, which means to touch upon). You could also use Relativamente à fundamentação, which is slightly more common in European Portuguese. For something just a tiny bit less stiff, try Quanto à fundamentação or No tocante à fundamentação. If you want to drop the formality significantly, you'd just say Sobre o porquê de... or Em relação aos motivos.... But if you're aiming for that B2/C1 level of sophistication, no que concerne à is the gold standard.

Is this used in Portugal and Brazil? Yes, it is widely used in both, though legal and academic styles are very similar across the Lusophone world. Is it always used for law? No, but it's most common there; you can use it for any logical basis, like science or business strategy. Can I just say 'Sobre'? Yes, but 'sobre' is like wearing jeans, while this phrase is like wearing a tuxedo. Does it always need 'à'? Yes, because 'fundamentação' is always feminine. Why is it so long? Formal Portuguese loves 'perífrases' (using many words when few would do) to show education and respect.