Eu gosto do aplauso depois da peça.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.