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Questions & Answers about Você gosta da mesa?
Why do we use “da” in “Você gosta da mesa?” instead of “de”?
In Portuguese, “da” is the contraction of “de + a”.
• “de” is the preposition (required after the verb gostar)
• “a” is the feminine singular article agreeing with mesa (a feminine noun)
When they combine, you get “da”.
Is it correct to drop “você” and just ask “Gosta da mesa?”
Yes, you can omit “você” if the context is clear. In Portuguese, it’s common to skip the subject pronoun when it’s understood. So both “Gosta da mesa?” and “Você gosta da mesa?” can be acceptable in everyday conversation.
Can I also say “Tu gostas da mesa?” in Brazil?
Yes, but “tu” is not used as commonly throughout most of Brazil as “você.” The conjugation would change to “tu gostas”. Some regions (especially in the South) still use “tu,” but in most of Brazil, “você” is preferred.
What if I want to sound more polite or formal?
Using “você” is generally polite enough in Brazil. However, in very formal contexts, Brazilians might avoid directly addressing someone as “você,” using “o senhor” (masculine) or “a senhora” (feminine) instead, which changes the question to “O senhor gosta da mesa?” or “A senhora gosta da mesa?”.