Questions & Answers about Eu também gosto de café.
Why is também placed before gosto in this sentence?
In Portuguese, também (meaning "also" or "too") can go in different positions, such as before or after the verb, depending on emphasis. In Eu também gosto de café, placing também before gosto stresses that you share the same preference someone just mentioned. You could also see it after the verb (e.g., Eu gosto também de café) or even at the end of the sentence (e.g., Eu gosto de café também), but the most natural-sounding or commonly used placement is before the verb.
Why do we say gosto de café instead of gosto café?
In Portuguese, the verb gostar usually comes with the preposition de when followed by a noun. So you say gostar de + noun. Therefore, you need gosto de café, not gosto café.
Why isn't do used before café even though café is a masculine noun?
You can use do (a contraction of de + o) when something is specific or defined. For instance, if you mean "I also like the coffee" (perhaps a specific type or brand of coffee you just tasted), you could say Eu também gosto do café. However, if you say Eu também gosto de café, it usually implies coffee in general, rather than a specific coffee.
Could I say Eu também adoro café to express stronger liking?
Yes! Adorar means "to adore" or "to love," so Eu também adoro café shows a stronger preference than simply liking coffee. The structure remains the same—adorar also pairs with de in colloquial use, although many speakers simply say adoro café without the preposition.
Is the word order in Portuguese flexible if I want to emphasize different parts of the sentence?
Yes. In Portuguese, you can move também around for emphasis. For instance, Também gosto de café puts emphasis on "also," while Eu gosto de café também sounds more casual or might emphasize coffee in addition to other things you like. However, the most common word order you’ll encounter is Eu também gosto de café.
More from this lesson
AI Language TutorTry it ↗
“What's the best way to learn Portuguese grammar?”
Portuguese grammar becomes intuitive with practice. Focus on understanding the core patterns first — how sentences are structured, how verbs change form, and how words relate to each other. Our course breaks these concepts into small lessons so you can build understanding step by step.
Sign up free — start using our AI language tutor
Start learning PortugueseMaster Portuguese — from Eu também gosto de café to fluency
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods.
- ✓ Infinitely deep — unlimited vocabulary and grammar
- ✓ Fast-paced — build complex sentences from the start
- ✓ Unforgettable — efficient spaced repetition system
- ✓ AI tutor to answer your grammar questions