Introduction
Many learners find gostar de tricky when writing in Brazilian Portuguese. This article explains common mistakes and gives clear, practical corrections and examples for everyday messages, emails, chats, and class exercises. Follow the patterns and sample sentences to write more naturally and confidently.
- Why gostar de causes trouble for English speakers
- Common mistake 1: Missing de after gostar
- Common mistake 2: Using gostar like an adjective
- Common mistake 3: Wrong pronoun after gostar de
- Common mistake 4: Contractions with articles and gostar
- Common mistake 5: Verb agreement with subjects
- Common mistake 6: Using infinitive vs. gerund after gostar
- Common mistake 7: Using gostar with nouns vs. verbs or clauses
- Practical sentence patterns to memorize
- Everyday writing examples for messages and emails
- Politeness and tone: formal vs. informal writing
- Beginner tips to avoid mistakes
- Practice exercises with corrections
- Common punctuation and accent notes relevant to gostar de
- Quick reference cheat sheet
- Conclusion
Why gostar de causes trouble for English speakers
Gostar de looks like a simple verb phrase but behaves differently from English verbs like to like. Learners often mix subject-object order, pronoun use, or verb agreement. Understanding its structure helps you write correct sentences in emails, text messages, and short paragraphs.
Basic structure of gostar de
In Brazilian Portuguese, gostar is used with a subject and the preposition de before the thing liked. The liked thing is usually a noun, pronoun, or verb in the gerund or infinitive. Example pattern: subject + gostar (conjugated) + de + object.
Examples of the basic pattern:
Eu gosto de música.
Ela gosta de viajar.
Nós gostamos de comer brigadeiro.
Common mistake 1: Missing de after gostar
Mistake: Leaving out de and writing gostar followed directly by a noun or verb. This error often happens because English uses like without a preposition.
Wrong example a student might write:
Eu gosto música.
Corrected version:
Eu gosto de música.
Why it matters: Without de the sentence is grammatically incorrect and sounds unnatural to native speakers. Always include de after gostar when introducing the thing liked.
Common mistake 2: Using gostar like an adjective
Mistake: Treating gostar as an adjective (like in English I am liking this) or confusing it with adjectives such as feliz or interessado. Learners sometimes write sentences like eu estou gostando de which can be correct in continuous sense but is often misused.
Wrong example students write:
Estou gostando este livro.
Correct options:
Eu gosto deste livro.
Eu estou gostando deste livro. (use when you mean you are currently enjoying it)
Note: When referring to a specific object close to the speaker, use the demonstrative: de + este = deste. This shows correct preposition use and contraction.
Common mistake 3: Wrong pronoun after gostar de
Mistake: Using subject pronouns where object pronouns are required, or using the wrong prepositional pronoun after de. After de, use mim, você, ele, ela, nós, eles, elas — but remember that mim and você behave differently with verbs.
Wrong example:
Ele gosta de eu.
Corrected versions:
Ele gosta de mim. (if referring to me)
Ele gosta de você. (if referring to you)
When using names use the name after de: Ele gosta do João. Notice contraction: de + o = do.
Common mistake 4: Contractions with articles and gostar
Mistake: Forgetting contractions that occur when de meets definite articles. In Portuguese, de + o = do, de + a = da, de + os = dos, de + as = das. Learners often write de o or de a, which is incorrect in standard writing.
Wrong example:
Eu gosto de o filme.
Corrected version:
Eu gosto do filme.
Examples with feminine and plural:
Eu gosto da música.
Nós gostamos dos doces.
Elas gostam das novelas.
Common mistake 5: Verb agreement with subjects
Mistake: Conjugating gostar incorrectly because of subject confusion or leaving it in infinitive. Beginners sometimes write gosto when subject is nós, or writes gostam for eu.
Wrong examples:
Ela gosto de viajar.
Eu gostam de café.
Correct conjugations:
Ela gosta de viajar.
Eu gosto de café.
Nós gostamos de caminhar no parque.
Tip: Identify the subject first, then choose the correct form of gostar: eu gosto, tu gostas (less common in Brazil), você/ele/ela gosta, nós gostamos, vocês/eles/elas gostam.
Common mistake 6: Using infinitive vs. gerund after gostar
Mistake: Confusing quando usar infinitivo or gerúndio after gostar. After gostar de, when you want to say you like to do something, use the infinitive: gostar de + viajar, gostar de comer. Using the gerund (viajando, comendo) changes the nuance and can be grammatical but often unnatural in simple statements.
Wrong example:
Eu gosto de viajando.
Corrected version:
Eu gosto de viajar.
Acceptable continuous sense:
Eu estou gostando de viajar agora. (I am enjoying traveling now)
Common mistake 7: Using gostar with nouns vs. verbs or clauses
Mistake: Attempting to use gostar with subordinate clauses without proper connectors. If the object is a clause, use que or a structure that makes sense: gostar que + verb in subjunctive is possible for feelings about situations.
Wrong example:
Eu gosto que ele canta.
Corrected versions:
Eu gosto de que ele cante. (I like that he sings — subjunctive used after gostar que when expressing desire or opinion about actions)
Eu gosto quando ele canta. (I like it when he sings — use quando for specific occasions)
Tip: For general facts use gostar de + noun or gostar quando + clause for specific moments; use gostar que + subjunctive for reactions to actions.
Practical sentence patterns to memorize
Pattern 1: Subject + gostar conjugated + de + infinitive
Eu gosto de estudar português.
Pattern 2: Subject + gostar conjugated + de + noun
Ela gosta de chocolate.
Pattern 3: Subject + gostar conjugated + de + definite article contraction + noun
Nós gostamos do restaurante novo.
Pattern 4: Subject + estar gostando de + gerund or noun (current enjoyment)
Eu estou gostando deste curso.
Pattern 5: Subject + gostar que + subjunctive
Eu gosto que você venha me visitar.
Everyday writing examples for messages and emails
Short text message to a friend about dinner:
Oi, eu gosto de comida italiana. Vamos ao restaurante da esquina hoje?
Reply in chat confirming a plan:
Que bom! Eu gosto do cardápio deles. A que horas?
Simple email to a teacher about a class preference:
Olá professora, eu gosto das aulas de conversação e quero participar do grupo de prática.
Note form for travel plans:
Lista: gosto de praias, gosto de museus, não gosto de passeios muito longos.
Politeness and tone: formal vs. informal writing
In formal emails, use the full subject pronoun and polite constructions. Avoid contractions like gosto do in overly formal contexts only if you prefer more formal vocabulary. Example polite sentence for an email:
Prezado senhor, eu gosto muito do trabalho desenvolvido pela sua equipe e gostaria de agendar uma reunião.
For informal chats, short sentences and contractions are fine:
Eu gosto disso! Vamos amanhã?
Beginner tips to avoid mistakes
Always write de after gostar unless using an alternative structure like gostar que or gostar quando.
Check subject-verb agreement: identify the subject before conjugating gostar.
Use contractions with articles: do, da, dos, das when de meets o/a/os/as.
For verbs after gostar, prefer the infinitive: gostar de + verb in infinitive form.
When in doubt, write full short sentences rather than combining clauses incorrectly. For example, split into two clear sentences: Eu gosto de música. Eu gosto quando você canta.
Practice exercises with corrections
Exercise 1: Correct the sentence: Tu gosto de festas.
Answer: Tu gostas de festas. or Você gosta de festas. (use você more in Brazil)
Exercise 2: Correct the sentence: Eles gostam o cinema.
Answer: Eles gostam do cinema.
Exercise 3: Correct the sentence: Eu gosto viajando no verão.
Answer: Eu gosto de viajar no verão.
Common punctuation and accent notes relevant to gostar de
There are no accents on gostar or de, but be careful with nearby words that require accents or diacritics. For instance, use está with an accent when meaning is present continuous, not esta (which is rare). Example: Eu estou gostando, ele está feliz.
Also note contractions like deste or naquela when demonstratives are used: eu gosto deste livro, eu gosto daquela música.
Quick reference cheat sheet
Use this to check your sentences:
Does the sentence have de after gostar? If not, add it.
Is the verb gostar conjugated to match the subject? Adjust it.
If de + article appears, use the correct contraction: do/da/dos/das.
For liking actions, use gostar de + infinitive.
Conclusion
Writing correctly with gostar de becomes easy once you remember the small rules: include de, conjugate gostar to match the subject, use contractions with articles, prefer the infinitive for verbs, and choose the right pronoun after de. Use the sentence patterns and everyday examples here to practice messages, emails, and simple paragraphs, and check your writing against the quick cheat sheet before sending.
