Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Brazil): Você gosta de trabalhar nesta cidade?

In Portuguese, gostar generally needs de to link it to an infinitive or a noun. So when you say gostar de trabalhar, it literally translates to "to like of working," which is simply how the language constructs "to like doing something."

Why is trabalhar in the infinitive form here and not conjugated?

When one verb (gostar) is followed by another (trabalhar), the second verb often remains in the infinitive. This is a common pattern in Portuguese: Eu gosto de cantar, Ela gosta de comer, etc.

What is the difference between nesta and nessa, and why use nesta in this sentence?

Nesta is a contraction of em + esta, translating to "in this." Nessa is a contraction of em + essa, translating to "in that." Here, nesta cidade ("in this city") implies a city that is close or immediately relevant in the context. If you used nessa, it would imply something a bit more distant from the speaker’s current context.

Is it necessary to include Você at the start, or can I just say Gosta de trabalhar nesta cidade?

In Portuguese, you frequently drop the pronoun if the subject is obvious from context. It’s perfectly understandable to say Gosta de trabalhar nesta cidade? in casual speech when it’s obvious who the question is directed to. However, Você makes the question more explicit and avoids ambiguity, especially when multiple people are present.

Can I say something like Você está gostando de trabalhar nesta cidade? What would be the difference?

Yes, you can! Você está gostando de trabalhar nesta cidade? uses the present continuous tense (está gostando) to imply "Are you enjoying working in this city right now?" It focuses more on an ongoing experience. Você gosta de trabalhar nesta cidade? is the simple present and sounds more general, as in "Do you (generally) like working in this city?"