Eu gosto da voz da criança.

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Breakdown of Eu gosto da voz da criança.

• gostar de: to like
• da: of the
• voz: voice
• criança: child

Questions & Answers about Eu gosto da voz da criança.

Why do we use da instead of de or do before voz in this sentence?

In Portuguese, da is a contraction of de + a. Since voz is a feminine noun, we use a ("the" in feminine form). Therefore, de + a = da. If voz were masculine, we would use do (from de + o).

How do I know that criança is feminine and not masculine?

The word criança (child) is always treated as a feminine noun in Portuguese grammatical gender, regardless of whether the child in question is a boy or a girl. That’s why you see feminine articles and pronouns associated with it (like a criança).

Is it mandatory to use the article with voz in this sentence?

Yes, typically you would keep the article because voz is being specified. However, in other contexts where you speak more generally, you might see forms without the article (e.g., gosto de vozes doces, "I like sweet voices"). But here, since the sentence refers specifically to the child’s voice, the definite article is used.

Could I say Eu gosto de voz da criança instead?

No. In Portuguese, the verb gostar usually needs the preposition de, but when a definite article is also required for a specific noun, it contracts with de. So de + a becomes da, making it da voz.

What about word order—in English we often say "I like the child's voice," but in Portuguese it’s Eu gosto da voz da criança. Can we switch it around?

You generally wouldn’t change the order of the phrases in Portuguese. The standard structure here is Eu gosto da voz da criança. While you could say something like Da voz da criança eu gosto, it might sound more poetic or emphatic and is less common in everyday speech.

Why don’t we pluralize "child" here, like children? What if there’s only one child?

In Portuguese, criança can mean "child" or "kid" in general. If you’re talking about one child, you just say a criança. If there were multiple kids involved, you’d have crianças (plural). Here, the sentence is specifically about one child’s voice, so it remains singular.