Eu gosto dos livros.

I like the books.

Breakdown of Eu gosto dos livros.

• eu: I
• gostar de: to like
• os: the
• livro: book

Questions & Answers about Eu gosto dos livros.

Why is dos used here instead of de?

In Portuguese, the verb gostar is always followed by the preposition de. When you want to refer to something specific, you add the definite article (o for masculine singular, os for masculine plural, and so on). In this case, de + os merges to form dos.

Can I just say Eu gosto de livros without the article?

Yes. Eu gosto de livros means I like books in a general sense. By saying eu gosto dos livros, you’re emphasizing the specific books (the ones previously defined by context).

Is it correct to say Eu gosto dos livros to mean I like the books?

Exactly. That’s the typical way to say I like the books in Brazilian Portuguese, using the contraction dos (from de + os).

Could I replace dos with das?

Only if the noun is feminine plural. Dos is for masculine plural words (like livros). Das is for feminine plural words (like flores).

Is the preposition de always mandatory after gostar?

Yes. In Portuguese, the verb gostar naturally pairs with de to indicate what is liked. The article then changes or merges to reflect gender and number, resulting in forms like do, da, dos, or das.