Breakdown of Apetece-me comer um rissol apetitoso.
um
a / an / some (all forms)
comer
to eat
me
me
apetecer
to feel like (apetece-me...)
o rissol
the rissole
apetitoso
appetizing
Questions & Answers about Apetece-me comer um rissol apetitoso.
Why does this sentence use apetece-me instead of eu apeteço?
Apetecer is a dative-experiencer verb, meaning it works backwards compared to English. The person feeling the desire is the indirect object (me), and the thing being desired is the grammatical subject. It translates closer to 'Eating an appetizing rissole appeals to me.' Because the subject here is the infinitive verb comer, apetecer is conjugated in the third-person singular.
Could I just say Apetece-me um rissol if I do not want to use the verb comer?
Exactly. The subject of apetecer can be either an infinitive action (like comer) or a noun (like um rissol). However, if the noun you want is plural, such as rissóis, you must remember to conjugate the verb in the plural to match its new subject: Apetecem-me rissóis.
Why is the pronoun attached to the end of the verb in apetece-me?
In European Portuguese, object pronouns naturally attach to the end of the verb in affirmative main clauses. Since this sentence starts directly with the verb, the pronoun must go at the end. If the sentence were negative, the word não would pull the pronoun to the front: Não me apetece comer.
I noticed apetece and apetitoso look very similar. Is that a coincidence?
Not at all! They belong to the same word family centered around appetite. The verb apetecer means to appeal to or spark a craving, and the adjective apetitoso describes something that causes that feeling (appetizing). Spotting these root connections is a great way to quickly expand your B2 vocabulary.
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