Eu gosto da letra da canção.

I like the lyrics of the song.

Breakdown of Eu gosto da letra da canção.

• eu: I
• gostar de: to like
• de: of
• a canção: the song
• a letra: the lyric

Questions & Answers about Eu gosto da letra da canção.

Why is it gosto da and not gosto de a or just gosto a?

In European Portuguese, the verb gostar normally needs the preposition de before what you like.

• Eu gosto de X = I like X.

When de comes before a definite article, they contract:

• de + a = da
• de + o = do
• de + as = das
• de + os = dos

So:

• Eu gosto de a letra → Eu gosto da letra
• Eu gosto de o filme → Eu gosto do filme

Using gosto a is wrong in standard Portuguese in this meaning. You must use gostar de.

Could I say Eu gosto a letra da canção?

No. That sounds wrong to a native speaker.

• Gostar does not take a direct object in standard Portuguese; it takes de.
• So you need gostar de alguma coisa: gosto da letra, gosto do livro, gosto de chocolate.

If you want a verb that takes a direct object (like English to like), you can use:

• Eu adoro a letra da canção.
• Eu aprecio a letra da canção.

Those verbs can go directly with a letra without de.

Can I drop Eu and just say Gosto da letra da canção?

Yes. That’s very natural in Portuguese.

Portuguese is a pro-drop language: subject pronouns like eu, tu, ele are often omitted because the verb ending already shows who the subject is.

• Gosto da letra da canção. = Eu gosto da letra da canção.

You keep eu mainly for emphasis or contrast:

• Eu gosto da letra da canção, mas ele não gosta.
  (I like the lyrics of the song, but he doesn’t.)

Why is it da letra da canção and not de letra de canção?

The definite articles a (for letra) and a (for canção) show that we’re talking about something specific:

• da letra = de + a letra = of the lyrics
• da canção = de + a canção = of the song

If you said de letra de canção (without articles), it would sound more generic or abstract, like of song lyrics in general, and in practice it’s not a common way to express this idea.

To refer to a particular song and its lyrics, natives use the definite article:

• Gosto da letra da canção.
  (I like the lyrics of the song.)

What exactly does letra mean here? Does it mean letter or lyrics?

Letra in Portuguese has two common meanings:

1. Letter (of the alphabet):

   • A letra A, a letra B…

2. Lyrics (the words to a song):

   • Gosto da letra da canção. = I like the song’s lyrics.

Context tells you which meaning is intended. With things like canção, música, fado etc., letra means the lyrics, not an alphabet letter.

Why is letra singular in Portuguese when English usually says lyrics (plural)?

Portuguese treats the lyrics of a song as a single unit, so it uses the singular a letra:

• a letra da canção = the lyrics of the song

English tends to treat it as plural (lyrics), but that’s just a difference between the languages. You normally say:

• Gosto da letra desta canção.
  (not das letras desta canção, unless you’re emphasizing multiple different sets of lyrics or something unusual)

What is the difference between canção and música here?

Both can relate to songs, but they’re not used in exactly the same way:

• canção

  • Literally song.
  • Slightly more formal or literary; also used in set expressions (e.g. Canção de embalar = lullaby).

• música

  • Can mean music in general or a song/track.
  • In everyday European Portuguese, people very often say música where English says song:
    • Gosto desta música. = I like this song.

So you could also hear:

• Gosto da letra desta música.
  (I like this song’s lyrics.)

Why are we using da and not do? How do I know which one to use?

Da and do are both contractions of de + definite article, and they must agree with the gender and number of the noun:

• de + a (feminine singular) = da
• de + o (masculine singular) = do
• de + as (feminine plural) = das
• de + os (masculine plural) = dos

Here:

• letra is feminine → a letra → da letra
• canção is feminine → a canção → da canção

If it were masculine, you’d use do:

• Eu gosto do livro. (livro = masculine)

How do you pronounce Eu gosto da letra da canção in European Portuguese?

Rough approximation in English-like sounds (European accent):

• Eu → like “eh-oo” said quickly, often closer to “ew”.
• gosto → “GOSH-too”, with sh sound and a closed o at the end.
• da → like “duh”, very short.
• letra → “LE-truh”, final a is a reduced, almost uh sound.
• da → again “duh”.
• canção → roughly “kun-SOWNG”:
  • ç is always like s in see.
  • ão is a nasal sound, a bit like own said through the nose.

Said smoothly:
Eu gosto da letra da canção. → “Ew GOSH-too duh LE-truh duh kun-SOWNG.”

Could I change the word order, like Eu gosto da canção, da letra?

Yes, but the meaning shifts slightly.

• Eu gosto da letra da canção.
  Focuses on the lyrics specifically.

• Eu gosto da canção, da letra.
  Sounds like you first say you like the song, then add that you (also) like the lyrics. It feels more like two items in a list:
  I like the song, (and) the lyrics.

Both are grammatically correct, but they don’t emphasize the same thing. For I like the lyrics of the song, the original word order is the most natural.