How to Use Gostar de in Portuguese: Say What You Like
Portuguese expresses “like” with gostar de. Keep the preposition, conjugate gostar for the subject, and use the right noun or verb form afterward.
Real Life Portuguese · 7 min read · Updated October 14, 2026
The short answer
Gostar means “to like,” and Portuguese normally uses it with the preposition de: gostar de café, gostar de música. English speakers sometimes omit de because English does not put “of” after “like.” Learn gostar de as one expression.
Keep de after gostar
When a noun follows de, the preposition may contract with an article: gostar do filme (to like the movie), gostar da música (to like the music). The contraction depends on the noun phrase, not on a different meaning of gostar.
Eu gosto de café.
I like coffee.
Ela gosta da música.
She likes the music.
A gente gosta do bairro.
We like the neighborhood.
Change the verb to match the subject
In the present tense, gostar changes with the subject: eu gosto, você gosta, ele/ela gosta, nós gostamos, vocês gostam, eles/elas gostam. In everyday Brazilian conversation, a gente gosta is a very common way to say “we like.”
The noun after de does not control the verb ending. Compare Ela gosta de filmes and Eles gostam de filmes: the subject changes, so gostar changes, even though the object remains filmes.
Eu gosto de caminhar.
I like walking.
Nós gostamos de viajar.
We like to travel.
Vocês gostam deste restaurante?
Do you all like this restaurant?
Use the infinitive when you like doing an activity
If you like an activity, put the infinitive after de: gosto de ler (I like to read), gosta de cozinhar (he/she likes to cook). The second verb stays in its dictionary form because gostar carries the subject and tense information.
You can use a noun or an infinitive after gostar de. Keep de in both patterns: gostar de filmes and gostar de assistir a filmes. Learn common expressions in complete phrases so the grammar and vocabulary stay connected.
Ela gosta de cozinhar para os amigos.
She likes cooking for friends.
Eu gosto de aprender idiomas.
I like learning languages.
Eles gostam de ouvir música no carro.
They like listening to music in the car.
Make a negative or stronger opinion
Put não before gostar to say you do not like something: não gosto de, não gosta de. To say you love something, gostar muito de is common. Preferir (to prefer) gives you a useful way to compare two choices.
Real Life Portuguese gives you native audio for everyday opinions. Use it to hear verb endings, then ask an I Speak Portuguese teacher to correct a few sentences about your real interests.
Não gosto de acordar cedo.
I don’t like waking up early.
Ela gosta muito de praia.
She really likes the beach.
Prefiro chá, mas gosto de café também.
I prefer tea, but I like coffee too.
Put it into practice
Write two true sentences with gosto de + noun and two with gosto de + infinitive. Change one sentence to a negative, then ask someone what they like using Você gosta de…?
Quick practice
Which Portuguese example matches “I like learning languages”?
Choose an answer to check yourself.
Keep practicing with the Real Life Portuguese app
Build on this guide with everyday expressions and native Brazilian audio. Choose iPhone, Android, or the web app.