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Eu gosto de dar essa flor a ela; eu a dou todos os anos.

Eu gosto de dar essa flor a ela; eu a dou todos os anos.
I like to give this flower to her; I give it to her every year.
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Questions & Answers about Eu gosto de dar essa flor a ela; eu a dou todos os anos.

Why does Portuguese use de after gosto when it's followed by dar, as in gosto de dar?

Portuguese grammar requires the preposition de after gostar when it’s followed by another verb. It’s similar to English “like to do.”

  • Eu gosto de dar = I like to give
    Without de, Eu gosto dar would be ungrammatical.
Why is essa used in essa flor instead of esta or aquela?

Portuguese has three demonstratives to mark proximity or discourse context:
• esta (near the speaker)
• essa (near the listener or already mentioned in the conversation)
• aquela (far from both).
Here, essa flor refers to a flower already introduced, so essa is the natural choice.

Why does the sentence say dar essa flor a ela instead of dar essa flor para ela?

Both a and para can translate as “to,” but:
• dar algo a alguém is the traditional dative construction.
• dar algo para alguém emphasizes direction or purpose.
In formal or written Portuguese, dar algo a alguém is preferred, though para is extremely common in spoken Brazilian Portuguese.

Why does the second clause say eu a dou instead of repeating eu dou essa flor? What is a here?

a in eu a dou is the direct object pronoun replacing essa flor (feminine singular). Portuguese uses clitic pronouns to avoid repetition:

  • eu dou essa flor = I give this flower
  • eu a dou = I give it
Why is the pronoun a placed before the verb in eu a dou, instead of after as in dou-a?
In Brazilian Portuguese main clauses, clitic pronouns normally come before the verb (a pattern called proclisis). So you say eu a dou rather than European Portuguese dou-a.
Why is the indirect object a ela omitted in the second clause? Can it be included?

Once the recipient (to her) is clear, Portuguese often omits it to avoid redundancy. If you want to restate or emphasize, you can say:

  • Eu a dou a ela todos os anos
  • Eu a dou para ela todos os anos
    Both versions are grammatically correct but slightly more repetitive.
What does todos os anos mean, and can I use todo ano instead?

todos os anos means “every year.” You can also say todo ano, which carries the same idea. The nuance is minimal:
• todos os anos stresses each individual year
• todo ano is a bit more general
In practice, they’re used interchangeably.

Is the subject pronoun eu required in the second clause, or can you drop it?

Portuguese verbs are conjugated for person, so subject pronouns are optional when the subject is clear. You can say:

  • Gosto de dar essa flor a ela; a dou todos os anos
    omitting eu entirely. In everyday speech, it’s common to drop eu and simply say a dou todos os anos.