Eu gosto muito de música.

I like music very much.

Breakdown of Eu gosto muito de música.

• eu: I
• gostar de: to like
• a música: the music
• muito: really

Questions & Answers about Eu gosto muito de música.

Why do we use de after gosto?

In European Portuguese, the verb gostar almost always comes with the preposition de when you say what you like. Think of it as “to like of something”:

• Eu gosto de música. = I like music.
• Ela gosta de café. = She likes coffee.

So gosto de is the normal pattern. You cannot say ✗ Eu gosto música; it sounds wrong without de.

Can we drop Eu and just say Gosto muito de música?

Yes. Portuguese is a “pro‑drop” language, so the subject pronoun is often omitted because the verb ending already shows the person:

• Eu gosto muito de música.
• Gosto muito de música.

Both mean “I like music a lot.”
Eu is used for emphasis, contrast, or clarity, for example:

• Eu gosto de música, mas ele não gosta.
  I like music, but he doesn’t.

Why is muito placed before de música? Can I say Eu gosto de música muito?

In this sentence, muito modifies the verb gosto (it tells you how much you like something). The normal position for adverbs like this is before the prepositional phrase:

• ✅ Eu gosto muito de música.

Putting muito at the end:

• ✗ Eu gosto de música muito

sounds unnatural in European Portuguese.

So: verb + muito + de + thing is the usual pattern when muito means “a lot” with a verb.

What exactly does muito mean here: “very” or “a lot”?

Here muito means “a lot” / “very much”, because it is modifying the verb gosto:

• Eu gosto muito de música.
  I like music a lot / very much.

If muito comes before an adjective, it usually means “very”:

• A música é muito boa.
  The music is very good.

So:

• with verbs: usually a lot / very much
• with adjectives: usually very

Why is there no a before música? Why not Eu gosto muito da música?

Here, música means music in general, as an abstract concept. In Portuguese, when you talk about something in general, you can often use the noun without an article:

• Eu gosto de música. = I like music (in general).

If you add the article, it becomes more specific:

• Eu gosto muito da música.
  Literally: I like the music a lot.
  This sounds like you are talking about specific music already mentioned or currently playing.

So:

• gosto de música = I like music (as a general thing)
• gosto da música = I like the music (this particular music)

What does música refer to here: music in general or a single song?

In Eu gosto muito de música, música means music in general as an art form or hobby.

If you want to talk about a specific song or piece, you typically add more detail:

• Eu gosto muito desta música.
  I really like this song / this piece of music.

So:

• bare música after gostar de = music as a whole
• esta música, a música, etc. = specific track / piece

How is the verb gostar conjugated in the present tense?

Here is gostar in the present indicative (European Portuguese):

• eu gosto – I like
• tu gostas – you like (singular, informal)
• ele / ela gosta – he / she likes
• você gosta – you like (singular, more formal / polite)
• nós gostamos – we like
• vocês gostam – you like (plural “you all”; standard in PT‑PT)
• eles / elas gostam – they like

Examples:

• Nós gostamos de música. – We like music.
• Eles gostam muito de música. – They like music a lot.

How would I say “I like this music a lot” or “I really like the music”?

To talk about specific music (for example, what is playing now):

• Eu gosto muito desta música. – I like this music / this song a lot.
• Gosto muito da música. – I really like the music (the one we’re talking about).

Notice:

• de + esta música → desta música
• de + a música → da música

These contractions are compulsory in writing and normal speech.

Is there a difference between Eu gosto muito de música and Eu adoro música?

Yes, mainly in strength:

• Eu gosto muito de música.
  I like music a lot / very much. Strong liking, but still “like”.

• Eu adoro música.
  I love music. Stronger and more emotional.

Both are common and natural. Adoro expresses a more intense feeling than gosto muito.

How is gosto pronounced, and does it have any other meanings?

In European Portuguese:

• gosto is pronounced roughly like “GOOSH-too”:
  • gos- with a soft “sh” sound (because s between vowels often becomes [ʃ] in PT‑PT)
  • -to like “too” but shorter

The word gosto is both:

1. The 1st person singular of the verb gostar (I like).
2. A noun meaning “taste” or “preference”:
   • Tenho gosto em ajudar. – I am pleased to help.
   • O meu gosto musical. – My musical taste.

In Eu gosto muito de música, it is the verb form.

Why does música have an accent, and how is it stressed?

Música has an acute accent (ú) to show:

1. Where the stress is: on the first syllable.
2. That the vowel is open and stressed: MÚ-si-ca.

Without the accent, the default stress rule would likely put the stress on the second-to-last syllable in some forms or create ambiguity. The accent makes it clear:

• MÚ-si-ca (three syllables, stress on MÚ).

Is this sentence formal, informal, or neutral?

Eu gosto muito de música. is neutral. It can be used:

• in casual conversation
• in class, interviews, or formal situations

The vocabulary and structure are standard and appropriate in almost any context.

How do I say “I like music a lot too” in European Portuguese?

You would say:

• Eu também gosto muito de música.
• Or more naturally (dropping eu): Também gosto muito de música.

Também means “also / too” and normally comes before the verb in this type of sentence.

Are there more “intense” or more colloquial ways to say this in Portugal?

Yes. Some common variations in European Portuguese:

• Gosto imenso de música. – I like music enormously / I really love music.
• Gosto mesmo muito de música. – I really like music a lot.
• Adoro música. – I love music.

All of these are natural ways to strengthen the idea of liking music a lot.