Eu gosto do aplauso depois da peça.

I like the applause after the play.

Breakdown of Eu gosto do aplauso depois da peça.

• eu: I
• gostar de: to like
• o: the
• depois: after
• a peça: the play
• o aplauso: the applause

Questions & Answers about Eu gosto do aplauso depois da peça.

Why is it Eu gosto do aplauso and not Eu gosto o aplauso?

In Portuguese, the verb gostar almost always comes with the preposition de before what you like.

• Correct: Eu gosto de chocolate.
• Incorrect: Eu gosto chocolate.

When de comes before the masculine singular article o, they contract into do (de + o = do).

So:

• Eu gosto de o aplauso → contracts to → Eu gosto do aplauso.

Using Eu gosto o aplauso is grammatically wrong because it’s missing the preposition de that gostar requires.

What exactly does do mean in do aplauso?

Do is a contraction of:

• de (of, from) + o (the, masculine singular)

So:

• do aplauso = de + o aplauso → of the applause / (I like) the applause

You use do because:

1. gostar needs de
2. aplauso is masculine singular (o aplauso)
3. In Portuguese you must contract de + o → do (you can’t usually keep them separate in speech or writing).

Why is it do aplauso and not just de aplauso?

Both are possible, but they’re slightly different:

• Eu gosto do aplauso.

  • Literally: I like the applause.
  • Refers to a specific, identifiable applause (for example, the applause after that play, that show, that moment).
  • More specific and definite.

• Eu gosto de aplauso.

  • Closer to: I like applause (in general).
  • More generic, like saying you enjoy the idea or experience of applause, not a specific instance.

In your sentence, do aplauso suggests the speaker enjoys that particular applause that happens after the play.

Why is aplauso singular here? In English we usually say “applause”, which feels plural.

In Portuguese, aplauso is a regular countable noun:

• o aplauso = the applause
• os aplausos = the applauses / the clapping (plural)

Using the singular:

• Eu gosto do aplauso depois da peça.
  Suggests the (whole) applause as a single event or phenomenon.

You could also say:

• Eu gosto dos aplausos depois da peça.
  (I like the applauses / the rounds of applause after the play.)

Both are grammatically correct.
Singular often sounds more neutral or abstract (“the applause as a thing”), while plural can suggest repeated clapping events or multiple instances.

What’s the difference between Eu gosto do aplauso and Eu gosto de aplausos?

Subtle nuance:

• Eu gosto do aplauso.

  • de + o = do = the applause
  • More specific: the applause in that context (after the play).

• Eu gosto de aplausos.

  • No article → more general: I like applause / rounds of applause.
  • Feels more like a general preference, not tied to a particular event.

So your sentence emphasizes the particular applause that happens after the play, not just any applause in any situation.

Why is it depois da peça and not depois a peça?

In Portuguese, depois normally needs the preposition de when it’s followed by a noun:

• depois de
  • [something]

Then de combines with the article:

• de + a (feminine singular) → da
• peça is feminine: a peça (the play)

So:

• depois de a peça → contracts to → depois da peça

Depois a peça (without de) is incorrect here. You need depois de + noun (with contraction if there’s an article).

What does peça mean here, and why is it feminine (da peça)?

In this context, peça means play (a theater play, stage play).

• a peça (de teatro) = the (theater) play

Grammatical gender:

• peça is a feminine noun → it uses the article a in the singular.
• So de + a peça → da peça (of/from the play).

That’s why the sentence has depois da peça, not depois do peça.

Could I drop the Eu and just say Gosto do aplauso depois da peça?

Yes, that’s very natural.

Portuguese is a pro‑drop language: the subject pronoun can often be omitted because the verb ending already shows the person.

• Eu gosto do aplauso… and
• Gosto do aplauso…

both mean I like the applause… in this context.

You typically keep eu if:

• you want to emphasize I (contrast: I like it, others don’t), or
• for clarity in a longer conversation.

But in many everyday sentences, dropping eu is perfectly normal.

Is depois da peça the only way to say “after the play”, or are there alternatives?

There are several natural options:

• Depois da peça – very common, neutral.
• Após a peça – also “after the play”, a bit more formal or written.
• Depois do espetáculo – “after the show” (if you mean the whole show, not specifically a theater play).
• Quando a peça termina – “when the play ends”.

For your exact structure, depois da peça is the most straightforward, natural everyday choice.

Could I say Eu gosto do aplauso após a peça instead? Is it different?

You can, and it’s correct:

• Eu gosto do aplauso após a peça.

Differences:

• depois de is more common and feels more conversational.
• após can sound a bit more formal, literary, or written, though it’s also used in speech.

Meaning-wise, both are basically “after the play”. Nuance is mostly register/style, not content.

Is the word order fixed, or can I move depois da peça to the front?

You can move it. All of these are grammatically correct:

1. Eu gosto do aplauso depois da peça.
2. Depois da peça, eu gosto do aplauso.
3. Eu gosto, depois da peça, do aplauso. (more stylized/emphatic)

The default, most neutral word order is the original: Eu gosto do aplauso depois da peça.
Moving depois da peça to the front puts a little extra emphasis on the time frame (after the play).

Can I also say Eu gosto de aplaudir depois da peça? Is that the same thing?

The grammar is similar, but the meaning changes:

• Eu gosto do aplauso depois da peça.

  • You enjoy receiving / hearing the applause after the play.

• Eu gosto de aplaudir depois da peça.

  • You enjoy applauding (being the one who claps) after the play.

Here:

• gostar de + noun:
  
  • gosto do aplauso → I like the applause (the thing/event).
• gostar de + infinitive:
  
  • gosto de aplaudir → I like to applaud (the action).

Both are correct, but they talk about different experiences.