Concernente à demonstração

Using this phrase correctly requires a tiny bit of grammar magic called the 'crase'. Because concernente requires the preposition a, and demonstração is a feminine noun that takes the article a, they fuse together to become à. If you forget that little grave accent, your Brazilian or Portuguese colleagues might give you a side-eye. You generally place this at the start of a sentence to set the stage or after a noun to provide specification. For example, "As dúvidas concernente à demonstração foram resolvidas" (The doubts regarding the demonstration were resolved). It flows best in written reports or structured speeches. If you try to use it while ordering a burger, the waiter might think you are a lost time-traveler from the 19th century. Use it when you need to be the smartest person in the Zoom room.

This phrase lives in the 'Very Formal' to 'Formal' neighborhood. It is rarely heard in the streets of Lisbon or Rio de Janeiro unless someone is reading a legal document aloud. It belongs in academic papers, corporate emails, and high-level technical documentation. On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is a drunk text and 10 is a Supreme Court ruling, this is a solid 8.5. It’s polite but distant. It doesn’t want to grab a beer with you; it wants to review your quarterly KPIs. If you use it with friends, do it ironically—like when your friend is showing you how to do a trick on a skateboard and you want to sound like a pretentious judge. Otherwise, save it for your LinkedIn posts or your master's thesis.

Imagine you are a software developer at a Portuguese startup. You just finished showing a new feature to the board of directors. A week later, you send an email: "Concernente à demonstração da semana passada, aqui estão os logs de erro." (Regarding last week's demo, here are the error logs). Or picture a scientist in Coimbra writing a paper: "Os dados concernente à demonstração química sugerem uma reação estável." (The data concerning the chemical demonstration suggest a stable reaction). You might even see it in a news report about a public display of art: "O comentário do prefeito concernente à demonstração artística foi positivo." (The mayor's comment regarding the artistic display was positive). It’s the "adulting" version of the word "about."

You should pull this phrase out of your pocket whenever the stakes are high. It is perfect for formal emails where you need to reference a previous meeting or presentation. It is also excellent for academic writing where sobre feels too repetitive or simple. If you are applying for a job and want to refer to a portfolio piece or a live coding test you performed, this phrase will make you look incredibly articulate. It's also useful in legal or administrative contexts where every word needs to be legally airtight. Basically, if you are wearing a tie or a blazer (even a virtual one), you can use this phrase.

Do not use this in a WhatsApp group with your cousins. Please. You will sound like you’ve been replaced by a very formal AI bot. Avoid it during casual dinners, while flirting, or when talking to children. "Concernente à demonstração do seu desenho, achei as cores bonitas" is a great way to make a child cry or at least look at you very confusedly. Also, avoid using it if you aren't 100% sure what the 'demonstração' is. If the topic is vague, stick to sobre. This phrase is a laser beam; don't use it if you need a flashlight.

The most common trip-up is the 'crase' (the accent). People often write a demonstração (without the accent) or à demonstração when they should have used the plural às demonstrações. Another mistake is using it as a direct replacement for "because of." It means "regarding," not "due to."

Remember, concernente always wants that a preposition. It’s a needy word.

If concernente feels a bit too heavy, you have options. Relativo à demonstração is a close cousin—still formal, but maybe a bit more common in modern business. No que diz respeito à demonstração is the long-winded version for when you really want to fill up space in a report. For something slightly less stiff, try Quanto à demonstração. It’s like the business-casual version of our phrase. In Brazil, you might hear Referente à demonstração more often in corporate settings. All of these perform the same job: they point a finger at the subject and say, "Look here."

Is this used in Brazil and Portugal? Yes, both countries use it in formal writing, though Portuguese academics are particularly fond of it. Can I use it for a protest? Yes, but only if you are speaking formally about it as an event, otherwise use manifestação. Is it better than 'sobre'? Not better, just more formal. Use sobre for 90% of life and this for the important 10%.