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Questions & Answers about O senhor gosta de café quente.
What does O senhor mean and when should I use it?
O senhor is a formal way to address a man in Portuguese, similar to using "sir" or "Mr." in English. It shows respect and is typically used when speaking to someone older or in a professional context.
Why is the verb phrase gosta de used in this sentence?
The verb gostar means "to like." In Portuguese, it is always used with the preposition de to link to the object of liking. In this sentence, gosta is the third-person singular conjugation that agrees with O senhor, and de café quente tells us what is liked.
Why is the adjective quente placed after the noun café?
In Portuguese, adjectives usually come after the noun they modify. So, café quente directly translates to "hot coffee." While adjectives can sometimes come before the noun for stylistic emphasis, placing quente after café is the standard order for a neutral description.
Why is there no article before café in this sentence?
When talking about general preferences or substances like coffee, Portuguese often omits the article. Here, café refers to coffee in general rather than a specific instance, so no article is needed.
How would this sentence change if I wanted to use an informal address?
For an informal address, you can replace O senhor with você. The sentence would then be: Você gosta de café quente.
How can I modify this sentence to address a woman formally instead of a man?
To address a woman formally, you should use A senhora in place of O senhor. The sentence would become: A senhora gosta de café quente.