Learn Portuguese (Portugal): O ator gosta de cantar.

O ator gosta de cantar.

The actor likes to sing.

Breakdown of O ator gosta de cantar.

Elon.io is an online learning platform

We have an entire course teaching Portuguese (Portugal) grammar and vocabulary.

Start learning Portuguese (Portugal) now

Questions & Answers about O ator gosta de cantar.

Why do we need de before cantar?

In Portuguese, the verb gostar (to like) requires the preposition de to connect it to the thing or action you like. When you like doing an activity, you always use the pattern gostar de + the infinitive (unconjugated) verb, like cantar.

Why isn't cantar conjugated here?

In this sentence, gosta is the main verb and is already conjugated to match o ator (the actor). The second verb, cantar, follows the preposition de. In Portuguese, verbs that come directly after a preposition always stay in their base, unconjugated form (the infinitive).

Does the word ator change if the actor is female?

Yes! Ator is specifically a male actor. If you were talking about a female actor, you would use the feminine word atriz. You would also change the article o (the) to a, making the sentence a atriz gosta de cantar.

Why is it gosta and not gosto?

The verb must match the person who is doing the liking. Since o ator is a third-person subject (he), we use the third-person singular form gosta. You only use gosto for yourself, as in eu gosto (I like).