Eu gosto muito da música dele.

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Breakdown of Eu gosto muito da música dele.

• gostar de: to like
• a música: the music
• muito: a lot
• dele: his

Questions & Answers about Eu gosto muito da música dele.

Why is gosto used here instead of something like gosta or gostam?

In Portuguese, gosto is the first-person singular form of the verb gostar (meaning to like). We use gosto (I like) when the subject is eu (I). Gosta would be for ele/ela/você (he/she/you) in the singular, and gostam would be for eles/elas/vocês (they/you) in the plural.

Why do we say da música instead of just música?

In Portuguese, the verb gostar normally takes the preposition de (to like something = gostar de algo). Since música is a feminine noun, we combine de + a (of the + the) into da. So gostar da música literally means to like of the music, which is how Portuguese grammar structures it.

What does dele mean?

Dele is a contraction of de + ele, which translates roughly into of him or his in this case. It shows possession referring back to a masculine subject (he/him). For example, a música dele = his music.

What does muito add to the meaning here?

Muito in this sentence functions as an adverb meaning very or a lot. It emphasizes gosto, making it clear that the speaker really likes or likes a lot the music in question.

Can I say Eu gosto muito da sua música instead of da música dele?

Yes, you can. However, sua (your) changes the meaning slightly. Dele refers back to he/him, whereas sua would address or refer to the person you are speaking to. So, it depends on whose music you’re talking about. If it’s his music (some third person), use dele; if you’re talking directly to someone about their music, you’d use sua.