Eu gosto de água.

I

Breakdown of Eu gosto de água.

• gostar de: to like
• água: water

Questions & Answers about Eu gosto de água.

Why does the verb gostar need de before água?

In Portuguese, the verb gostar is always followed by the preposition de when referring to something you like. So instead of saying eu gosto água, you must say eu gosto de água.

Can I omit the pronoun eu at the start of the sentence?

Yes! Portuguese is a pro-drop language, so you can say gosto de água without the pronoun eu. The meaning will stay the same; adding eu can sound more emphatic.

What if I want to talk about a specific type of water, like bottled water?

Then you could say eu gosto da água engarrafada (I like the bottled water). Using da (short for de + a) indicates something more specific, as opposed to eu gosto de água, which means water in general.

Why is água spelled with an accent?

The accent in água (the acute accent) shows that the stress falls on the first syllable (Á). This is important for correct pronunciation, distinguishing it from other words that might appear similar.

Is there a difference between água in Portugal and in Brazil?

The word água is used in all Portuguese-speaking countries with the same meaning. The difference might be in accent or pronunciation patterns between European Portuguese and Brazilian Portuguese, but the spelling is the same.