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Questions & Answers about Ela odeia peixe.
Why is it spelled odeia instead of "odia"?
The verb odiar (to hate) is irregular in the present tense. For most pronouns, the letter "i" in the root changes to "ei" (eu odeio, tu odeias, ela odeia, elas odeiam). However, it stays as an "i" for the "we" form: nós odiamos.
If I say "She likes fish," I need the word de (Ela gosta de peixe). Why doesn't odeia need de?
The verb gostar (to like) specifically requires the preposition de to connect to the thing you like. The verb odiar (to hate) is a direct verb and does not require a preposition. It attaches directly to the noun, just like in English!
Why isn't there a "the" (o) before peixe? Doesn't Portuguese usually use definite articles for general categories?
When talking about food in a general, uncountable sense (like "fish" as a category of meat or food), you can often leave out the definite article. If you said Ela odeia o peixe, it would sound more like she hates the specific fish that is on the plate in front of her right now.