Breakdown of Eu gosto de sentar perto da janela.
eu
I
gostar de
to like
a janela
the window
perto de
near
sentar
to sit
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Questions & Answers about Eu gosto de sentar perto da janela.
Why is there de after gosto?
In Portuguese, the verb gostar always takes the preposition de before a noun or an infinitive verb. It’s a fixed pattern: eu gosto de música, eu gosto de ler, eu gosto de sentar.
Why is sentar in the infinitive form and not conjugated for eu?
After a verb + preposition (like gostar de), Portuguese uses the infinitive to express the liked action. You say gosto de sentar (“I like to sit”), not gosto de sento.
Why doesn’t sentar have a reflexive pronoun like me?
Portuguese distinguishes:
- Intransitive sentar = “to sit” (no pronoun needed).
- Pronominal sentar-se = “to sit oneself down.”
In everyday Brazilian usage we typically use the intransitive form sentar, so no me or -se is required.
How does da form in perto da janela?
The preposition de + the feminine singular article a contract into da. So perto de a janela becomes perto da janela.
Could we say perto de janela without the article?
No. Portuguese generally requires definite articles with locations. You need a janela, so it must be perto da janela.
Can we omit the subject pronoun Eu here?
Yes. Portuguese is a pro-drop language. The verb ending -o in gosto already indicates first-person singular, so Gosto de sentar perto da janela is perfectly natural.
Is there any difference between perto de and próximo a?
Both mean “near.” Perto de is more common in speech; próximo a is a bit more formal. When used with a feminine noun, próximo a + a also contracts to próxima à, e.g., próxima à janela.