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Questions & Answers about Eu gosto de estudar ao ar livre.
Why is gostar followed by de in Eu gosto de estudar?
Portuguese gostar always takes the preposition de before the thing you like—whether that’s a noun or an infinitive verb. It’s like English where you say I like to rather than I like study. You cannot drop the de: gosto estudar is incorrect.
Why is the verb estudar in the infinitive rather than conjugated like estudo?
When one verb follows another in Portuguese, the second verb remains in the infinitive. After gostar de, you keep estudar (to study), just like in English I like to study.
What does ao ar livre mean, both literally and idiomatically?
Literally it’s a + o (contracted to ao) plus ar livre (free air). Idiomatically, it means in the open air, outside, or outdoors.
How is ao formed in ao ar livre?
Ao is the contraction of the preposition a and the masculine singular article o. So a + o → ao. The article o is needed because ar is a masculine noun.
Can I say no ar livre instead of ao ar livre?
No. The fixed expression for outdoors is ao ar livre. Saying no ar livre would literally mean em + o ar livre, and it’s not used in this context. If you want to use em, you could say em ambientes abertos instead.
Why is livre singular (not livres) and masculine?
In ar livre, ar (air) is an uncountable, masculine noun in Portuguese. The adjective livre agrees in gender and number, so it stays singular and takes its masculine form.
Why is the pronoun eu optional at the beginning of the sentence?
Portuguese is a pro-drop language, meaning the subject pronoun can be omitted because the verb conjugation (gosto) already tells you the subject is eu. You can simply say Gosto de estudar ao ar livre.
Are there alternative ways to express ao ar livre?
Yes. Common options are:
- Gosto de estudar lá fora
- Gosto de estudar ao ar aberto