Ana gosta de água.

Ana

Breakdown of Ana gosta de água.

• gostar de: to like
• água: water

Questions & Answers about Ana gosta de água.

Why do we say gosta and not gosto or gostam?

Gosta is the third-person singular form of the verb gostar (to like). Since the sentence is talking about Ana (she), the correct conjugation in Portuguese is Ana gosta (“Ana likes”).

Why is there a de before água?

In Portuguese, the verb gostar is almost always followed by the preposition de, even though in English you just say “like” without a preposition. For example: "gostar de música" (to like music), "gostar de chocolate" (to like chocolate).

Could we say Ana gosta água without de?

No. You need the preposition de in this context. It would sound incorrect to Brazilian Portuguese speakers to omit it. The natural form is Ana gosta de água.

Is água masculine or feminine?

Água is a feminine noun in Portuguese. If you need an article, you’d say a água.

Can you replace Ana with a pronoun?

Yes, you can use Ela gosta de água (Ela means “she”), which is a perfectly normal substitution in Portuguese when the context is clear.