Gostar Conjugation in Portuguese
gostar means “to like” in English, and it is one of the first verbs Portuguese learners meet — it sits at number 54 in VerbFlow’s frequency list for Portuguese verbs. It means to like, and it always takes the preposition de before its object: gosto de café, not gosto café. It is completely regular: gosto, gostas, gosta, gostamos, gostais, gostam. Forgetting the de is the most common mistake learners make with this verb. This page gives you the complete conjugation of gostar — every tense, every person, the gerund and the past participle — with notes, examples, common mistakes and a quiz. Here is the verb in a natural sentence: “Eu gosto de café todos os dias.” — “I like coffee.”
Quick facts
- Infinitive: gostar
- English: to like
- Verb type: Regular -ar verb
- Irregular in: none — regular in every tense
- Gerund: gostando
- Present participle: —
- Past participle: gostado
- Auxiliary: ter (all perfect tenses are formed with ter + the past participle)
- Ending: -ar verbs; pattern ar in the verified tables
Pronunciation
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for gostar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Learn the spelling of the forms first, and listen to a native speaker for the sounds rather than trusting an invented transcription. The forms below are the ones that matter: once you can read gostar in every tense, you can recognise it in speech even before you can pronounce every form perfectly.
Three things to remember about gostar
- It is regular: every form follows the ordinary -ar pattern, so once you know the stem you can build the whole table. The only work is learning the endings, not memorising exceptions.
- The perfect tenses use ter: the pretérito perfeito composto is formed with ter in the present plus the past participle gostado. The tables on this page give the participle in the masculine singular form, exactly as it appears in the verified dump; agreement with the subject is a separate step that depends on the sentence, not on the verb table.
- The gerund is gostando and the past participle is gostado: keep both in mind as you read the tables, because the gerund appears in progressive constructions and the past participle appears in every perfect tense. There is no present participle form listed for this verb in the verified tables. If you know those two forms and the present tense, you already know the skeleton of the whole conjugation.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from VerbFlow’s verified conjugation tables for gostar. Learn the present tense first, then the pretérito perfeito and the pretérito imperfeito, and add the remaining tenses one at a time.
Present indicative (presente)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | gosto |
| tu | gostas |
| ele/ela | gosta |
| nós | gostamos |
| vós | gostais |
| eles/elas | gostam |
The present indicative (presente) is used for habits, facts and things happening now. For example: “Eu gosto de café todos os dias.” — “I like coffee”
Pretérito perfeito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | gostei |
| tu | gostaste |
| ele/ela | gostou |
| nós | gostámos |
| vós | gostastes |
| eles/elas | gostaram |
The pretérito perfeito is used for completed actions in the past, especially one finished event. For example: “Eu gostei de café ontem.” — “I liked coffee”
Pretérito imperfeito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | gostava |
| tu | gostavas |
| ele/ela | gostava |
| nós | gostávamos |
| vós | gostáveis |
| eles/elas | gostavam |
The pretérito imperfeito is used for ongoing or habitual actions in the past, and for background description. For example: “Eu gostava de café antigamente.” — “I used to like coffee”
Pretérito mais-que-perfeito simples
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | gostara |
| tu | gostaras |
| ele/ela | gostara |
| nós | gostáramos |
| vós | gostáreis |
| eles/elas | gostaram |
The pretérito mais-que-perfeito simples is used for an action completed before another past action; in everyday speech the compound form with tinha is more common. For example: “Eu gostara de café antes do jantar.” — “I had liked coffee”
Futuro do presente
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | gostarei |
| tu | gostarás |
| ele/ela | gostará |
| nós | gostaremos |
| vós | gostareis |
| eles/elas | gostarão |
The futuro do presente is used for what will happen, for predictions and for promises. For example: “Eu gostarei de café amanhã.” — “I will like coffee”
Futuro do pretérito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | gostaria |
| tu | gostarias |
| ele/ela | gostaria |
| nós | gostaríamos |
| vós | gostaríeis |
| eles/elas | gostariam |
The futuro do pretérito is used for what would happen, for polite requests and for hypothetical situations. For example: “Eu gostaria de café um dia.” — “I would like coffee”
Pretérito perfeito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tenho gostado |
| tu | tens gostado |
| ele/ela | tem gostado |
| nós | temos gostado |
| vós | tendes gostado |
| eles/elas | têm gostado |
The pretérito perfeito composto is used for actions that started in the past and continue, or have been repeated, up to the present. For example: “Ele tem gostado de café esta semana.” — “He has liked coffee”
Pretérito mais-que-perfeito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tinha gostado |
| tu | tinhas gostado |
| ele/ela | tinha gostado |
| nós | tínhamos gostado |
| vós | tínheis gostado |
| eles/elas | tinham gostado |
The pretérito mais-que-perfeito composto is used for an action completed before another past action. For example: “Eu tinha gostado de café antes do jantar.” — “I had liked coffee”
Futuro do presente composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | terei gostado |
| tu | terás gostado |
| ele/ela | terá gostado |
| nós | teremos gostado |
| vós | tereis gostado |
| eles/elas | terão gostado |
The futuro do presente composto is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. For example: “Eu terei gostado de café até amanhã.” — “I will have liked coffee”
Futuro do pretérito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | teria gostado |
| tu | terias gostado |
| ele/ela | teria gostado |
| nós | teríamos gostado |
| vós | teríeis gostado |
| eles/elas | teriam gostado |
The futuro do pretérito composto is used for what would have happened in a different past. For example: “Eu teria gostado de café ontem.” — “I would have liked coffee”
Presente do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | goste |
| tu | gostes |
| ele/ela | goste |
| nós | gostemos |
| vós | gosteis |
| eles/elas | gostem |
The presente do subjuntivo is used for wishes, doubts, emotions and opinions after que. For example: “É importante que eu goste de café.” — “It is important that I like coffee”
Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | gostasse |
| tu | gostasses |
| ele/ela | gostasse |
| nós | gostássemos |
| vós | gostásseis |
| eles/elas | gostassem |
The pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo is used in the past for wishes and hypotheticals after que, and in se-clauses. For example: “Era importante que eu gostasse de café.” — “It was important that I like coffee”
Futuro do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | gostar |
| tu | gostares |
| ele/ela | gostar |
| nós | gostarmos |
| vós | gostardes |
| eles/elas | gostarem |
The futuro do subjuntivo is used after se and quando for a future possibility, where English would use the present. For example: “Se eu gostar de café, é bom.” — “If I like coffee, that is good”
Imperativo (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | gosta |
| ele/ela | goste |
| nós | gostemos |
| vós | gostai |
| eles/elas | gostem |
The affirmative imperative is used for direct commands and instructions. For example: “Gosta de café!” — “Like coffee!”
Imperativo (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | não gostes |
| ele/ela | não goste |
| nós | não gostemos |
| vós | não gosteis |
| eles/elas | não gostem |
The negative imperative is used for prohibitions and negative commands. For example: “Não gostes de café.” — “Do not like coffee.”
Presente do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tenha gostado |
| tu | tenhas gostado |
| ele/ela | tenha gostado |
| nós | tenhamos gostado |
| vós | tenhais gostado |
| eles/elas | tenham gostado |
The presente do subjuntivo composto is used for a completed action in a subordinate clause expressing doubt, wish or emotion. For example: “É importante que eu tenha gostado de café.” — “It is important that I have liked coffee”
Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tivesse gostado |
| tu | tivesses gostado |
| ele/ela | tivesse gostado |
| nós | tivéssemos gostado |
| vós | tivésseis gostado |
| eles/elas | tivessem gostado |
The pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo composto is used for a completed action in a past subordinate clause. For example: “Era importante que eu tivesse gostado de café.” — “It was important that I had liked coffee”
Futuro do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tiver gostado |
| tu | tiveres gostado |
| ele/ela | tiver gostado |
| nós | tivermos gostado |
| vós | tiverdes gostado |
| eles/elas | tiverem gostado |
The futuro do subjuntivo composto is used after se for a completed future possibility. For example: “Se eu tiver gostado de café, é bom.” — “If I have liked coffee, that is good”
Gerund
| Form | Portuguese |
|---|---|
| Gerund | gostando |
The gerund is used for an action happening at the same time as another action, often with estar for the progressive. For example: “Gostando de café, aprendo muito.” — “While liking coffee, I learn a lot.”
Past participle
| Form | Portuguese |
|---|---|
| Past participle | gostado |
The past participle is used with an auxiliary to form the perfect tenses, and as an adjective. For example: “Eu tenho gostado de café esta semana.” — “I have liked coffee.”
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with gostar, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the Portuguese and try to produce it from the English.
- “Eu gosto de café todos os dias.” — “I like coffee”
- “Tu gostaste de café ontem.” — “You liked coffee”
- “Ele gostava de café antigamente.” — “He used to like coffee”
- “Eu gostarei de café amanhã.” — “I will like coffee”
- “Tu gostarias de café um dia.” — “You would like coffee”
- “Ele tem gostado de café esta semana.” — “He has liked coffee”
- “Eu tinha gostado de café antes do jantar.” — “I had liked coffee”
- “Tu terás gostado de café até amanhã.” — “You will have liked coffee”
- “É importante que eu goste de café.” — “It is important that I like coffee”
- “Gosta de café!” — “Like coffee!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Eu gostar de café.”
✓ Right: “Eu gosto de café todos os dias.”
The infinitive gostar never takes a subject. After eu you need the conjugated present form gosto.
2. Using the wrong person’s form
✗ Wrong: “Eu gostas de café.”
✓ Right: “Eu gosto de café todos os dias.”
gostas is the tu form, not the eu form. Match the verb to the subject every time: eu goes with gosto.
3. Using the present for a finished past action
✗ Wrong: “Eu gosto de café ontem.”
✓ Right: “Eu gostei de café ontem.”
Ontem points to the past, so the present is wrong here. Use the pretérito perfeito gostei for a finished action yesterday.
4. Using the wrong auxiliary in the pretérito perfeito composto
✗ Wrong: “Eu sou gostado de café.”
✓ Right: “Eu tenho gostado de café esta semana.”
The pretérito perfeito composto of gostar is formed with ter plus the past participle gostado: the eu form is tenho gostado. Check the auxiliary in the table above before you build a perfect tense.
5. Using the indicative after a subjunctive trigger
✗ Wrong: “É importante que eu gosto de café.”
✓ Right: “É importante que eu goste de café.”
After é importante que Portuguese needs the subjunctive, so use goste here, not the indicative gosto.
6. Using the gerund instead of the past participle in a perfect tense
✗ Wrong: “Eu tenho gostando de café.”
✓ Right: “Eu tenho gostado de café esta semana.”
The perfect tenses need the past participle gostado, not the gerund gostando. The gerund belongs in progressive constructions, never after an auxiliary in a perfect tense.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on gostar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the eu form of gostar in the Present indicative (presente)?
- A) gostas
- B) gosto
- C) gosta
- D) gostamos
What is the ele/ela form of gostar in the Pretérito perfeito?
- A) gostei
- B) gostaste
- C) gostou
- D) gostámos
What is the nós form of gostar in the Pretérito imperfeito?
- A) gostava
- B) gostavas
- C) gostáveis
- D) gostávamos
What is the tu form of gostar in the Futuro do presente?
- A) gostarás
- B) gostarei
- C) gostará
- D) gostaremos
What is the eu form of gostar in the Futuro do pretérito?
- A) gostarias
- B) gostaria
- C) gostaríamos
- D) gostaríeis
What is the ele/ela form of gostar in the Pretérito perfeito composto?
- A) tenho gostado
- B) tens gostado
- C) tem gostado
- D) temos gostado
What is the ele/ela form of gostar in the Presente do subjuntivo?
- A) gostes
- B) gostemos
- C) gosteis
- D) goste
What is the eu form of gostar in the Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo?
- A) gostasse
- B) gostasses
- C) gostássemos
- D) gostásseis
What is the gerund of gostar?
- A) gostado
- B) gostando
- C) gostar
- D) gosto
What does gostar mean in English?
- A) to be
- B) to have
- C) to like
- D) —
Answer key
- B) gosto — the correct form is gosto. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) gostou — the correct form is gostou. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) gostávamos — the correct form is gostávamos. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) gostarás — the correct form is gostarás. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) gostaria — the correct form is gostaria. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) tem gostado — the correct form is tem gostado. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) goste — the correct form is goste. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) gostasse — the correct form is gostasse. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) gostando — the correct form is gostando. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) to like — the correct form is to like. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
Frequently asked questions
What does gostar mean in English?
gostar means “to like”. It is a core everyday verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is gostar regular or irregular?
gostar is regular: it follows the ordinary -ar pattern in every tense. The gerund is gostando and the past participle is gostado.
What are the gerund and past participle of gostar?
The gerund is gostando — use it with estar for the progressive. The past participle is gostado — use it with ter for the perfect tenses, as in tenho gostado.
Which auxiliary does gostar take in the pretérito perfeito composto?
gostar takes ter in the pretérito perfeito composto: the eu form is tenho gostado. All seven compound tenses on this page are built with ter plus the past participle gostado.
How do I say “I like” in Portuguese?
Say “Eu gosto de café todos os dias.” — “I like coffee” The eu form of the present is gosto, and it is the form you will use most often.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of gostar — every tense of gostar in one place.
- Gostar in the present tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Gostar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice questions for this verb.
- Portuguese present tense guide — the full guide to the present tense in Portuguese.
- Estar conjugation — another everyday Portuguese verb.
- Dar conjugation — another everyday Portuguese verb.
- Portuguese verbs — the full hub of Portuguese conjugation pages.
- VerbFlow home — all languages, tools and verb lists.
- Verb Conjugator — practise gostar with the interactive tool.
- Conjugation Chart Printer — practise gostar with the interactive tool.
- Tense Finder — practise gostar with the interactive tool.