Breakdown of Eu gosto de sentar à esquerda na sala de aula.
eu
I
gostar de
to like
na
in the
a sala de aula
the classroom
sentar
to sit
à
to the
a esquerda
the left
Questions & Answers about Eu gosto de sentar à esquerda na sala de aula.
Why is it Eu gosto de sentar and not Eu gosto sentar?
In Portuguese, gostar always takes the preposition de before what you like. With a verb, that verb stays in the infinitive:
- Eu gosto de sentar.
- Ela gosta de ler. With nouns, it’s the same:
- Eu gosto de chocolate. (general)
- Eu gosto do chocolate que você comprou. (specific, de + o = do)
Should I use sentar or sentar-se here? And where does the pronoun go?
Both are acceptable in Brazilian Portuguese:
- Very common and perfectly fine: Eu gosto de sentar.
- Also common in Brazil: Eu gosto de me sentar.
- More formal/literary in Brazil (and standard in Portugal): Eu gosto de sentar-me. Meaning doesn’t change; sentar(-se) here is simply “to sit (down).”
Do I need to include the subject Eu?
No. Portuguese often drops subject pronouns because the verb ending shows the subject. So:
- Gosto de sentar... is fine. Keep Eu for emphasis or contrast (e.g., Eu gosto…, mas ele não).
What does the accent in à esquerda mean?
That accent (grave) marks crase, the contraction of the preposition a + the feminine article a = à. Literally “at/to the left (side).” You’ll see it in set expressions of time/place:
- à esquerda, à direita, à noite, à tarde.
Why not write a esquerda without the accent?
For the locational phrase “on the left,” the standard form is à esquerda (with crase). Writing a esquerda here is a common error. Note a different use: talking about politics, A esquerda (no crase) can mean “the Left.”
Can I say na esquerda instead of à esquerda?
Generally no for physical location/orientation. Use à esquerda or a synonym like do lado esquerdo/no lado esquerdo. Na esquerda does appear in contexts like sports or politics (“play on the left wing,” “on the political left”), but not for “sit on the left side (of a room).”
What’s the difference between à esquerda and à esquerda de?
- à esquerda = “on/to the left (side)” in general.
- à esquerda de + noun anchors it relative to something:
Ex.: à esquerda da porta (to the left of the door), à esquerda do quadro (to the left of the board).
Why is it na sala de aula and not em a sala de aula or no sala de aula?
Portuguese contracts prepositions with articles:
- em + a = na (feminine) → na sala
- em + o = no (masculine) → no corredor Since sala is feminine, you get na sala de aula.
Why sala de aula (with de) and not sala da aula?
Sala de aula is a fixed compound meaning “classroom,” where de links two nouns to show type/purpose (room for classes). Using da would mean “the room of the specific lesson,” which is not how Portuguese names the place. Compare: sala de estar, sala de jantar.
Could I say na aula instead of na sala de aula?
You can, but it’s a bit different:
- na aula = “in/during class” (time/activity focus).
- na sala de aula = specifically “in the classroom” (place). Talking about where you sit in the room, na sala de aula is clearer. With a subject, you can say, e.g., na aula de Matemática.
Is the word order flexible?
Yes. All of these are natural:
- Eu gosto de sentar à esquerda na sala de aula.
- Na sala de aula, eu gosto de sentar à esquerda.
- Eu gosto de sentar na sala de aula, à esquerda. The meaning stays the same; you’re just shifting emphasis.
How can I say “on the left side of the classroom” explicitly?
Use:
- Gosto de sentar no lado esquerdo da sala de aula.
- Gosto de me sentar do lado esquerdo da sala de aula. Be careful: à esquerda da sala de aula means “to the left of the classroom” (outside/relative to the building), not inside it.
How do I change the subject (he/she/you/we/they)?
- Eu gosto de sentar…
- Você/Ele/Ela gosta de sentar…
- A gente gosta de sentar… (informal “we”)
- Nós gostamos de sentar… (you may also hear: gostamos de nos sentar)
- Eles/Elas gostam de sentar… Note: você uses third-person verb forms (gosta).
Is classe a good word for “classroom” here?
No. Use sala de aula for “classroom.”
- aula = “class/lesson” (the session)
- turma = the group of students
- classe often means “social class” or (in school contexts) “grade/form,” not the room.
What if I want to emphasize being seated (not the act of sitting down)?
Use ficar sentado:
- Gosto de ficar sentado à esquerda na sala de aula. That focuses on remaining seated there, whereas gosto de (me) sentar focuses on choosing/going to sit there.
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