Expressing likes with gostar de

In brief

Use gostar de to say that you like someone, something, or an activity. Unlike English like, gostar needs de before the thing you like. In everyday Brazilian Portuguese, Eu gosto de café means ‘I like coffee.’

Form

Person + form of gostar + de + noun or infinitive: eu gosto de música; ela gosta de cozinhar. Before o or a, de combines with the article: do or da.

Usage

• Put de before a noun, even when English has no word between like and the noun.
• To talk about an activity you enjoy, follow de with the infinitive of the verb.
• In questions, keep de after gostar: Você gosta de música?

Examples

• Eu gosto de café. — I like coffee.
• Você gosta de música? — Do you like music?
• Ela gosta de cozinhar. — She likes cooking.
• Eu gosto da praia. — I like the beach.

Common mistake

❌ Eu gosto café.

✅ Eu gosto de café.

English puts like directly before its object, but Portuguese requires de after gostar.

Remember

Keep de with gostar, even when you are asking a question or talking about an activity.