Signification
A polite way to express a desire or preference.
Contexte culturel
In Brazil, being 'too' formal can sometimes be seen as being cold. While 'Eu gostaria' is perfect for strangers, switching to 'Eu queria' with people you've met a few times makes you sound more 'brasileiro'. Portugal maintains a higher level of formal address. Using 'Gostaria' followed by 'o senhor' or 'a senhora' is very common and highly respected. In Luanda, formal Portuguese is often used in business to show status and education. 'Eu gostaria' is the standard in any professional email. Similar to other Lusophone African countries, the conditional mood is a staple of polite public discourse and media.
The 'De' Rule
Always keep the 'de' attached to 'gostaria'. It's the glue that holds the sentence together.
Don't be too blunt
Avoid saying 'Eu quero' to waiters unless you are very familiar with them. It can sound demanding.
Signification
A polite way to express a desire or preference.
The 'De' Rule
Always keep the 'de' attached to 'gostaria'. It's the glue that holds the sentence together.
Don't be too blunt
Avoid saying 'Eu quero' to waiters unless you are very familiar with them. It can sound demanding.
The Brazilian 'Queria'
If you want to sound like a local in Rio or São Paulo, use 'Eu queria'. It's the secret handshake of polite informality.
Body Language
A small nod when saying 'Eu gostaria' goes a long way in Lusophone cultures.
Teste-toi
Fill in the missing preposition.
Eu gostaria ___ um suco de laranja.
The verb 'gostar' always requires the preposition 'de'.
Which sentence is the most polite way to order in a restaurant?
Choose the best option:
'Eu gostaria de' is the standard polite form for requests.
Complete the dialogue.
Garçom: O que o senhor deseja? Você: ________ uma mesa perto da janela.
The conditional 'gostaria' is used for current requests.
Match the phrase to the context.
Match 'Eu gostaria de saber o preço' to its situation.
You ask for the price when buying something, like medicine.
🎉 Score : /4
Aides visuelles
Politeness Levels
Banque d exercices
4 exercicesEu gostaria ___ um suco de laranja.
The verb 'gostar' always requires the preposition 'de'.
Choose the best option:
'Eu gostaria de' is the standard polite form for requests.
Garçom: O que o senhor deseja? Você: ________ uma mesa perto da janela.
The conditional 'gostaria' is used for current requests.
Match 'Eu gostaria de saber o preço' to its situation.
You ask for the price when buying something, like medicine.
🎉 Score : /4
Questions fréquentes
10 questionsYes! In fact, it's very common, especially in Portugal, as the verb ending already tells us who is speaking.
Not at all. It's perfectly polite. However, in a very busy, casual cafe, 'Eu queria' might feel slightly more natural.
'Gostaria' is the conditional (would like), while 'Queria' is the imperfect (wanted). In practice, they are used interchangeably for politeness.
Yes, it becomes 'Nós gostaríamos'.
Yes, 'Eu gostaria de te pedir um favor' is a very common and polite way to start.
Because 'de' + 'o' (the) becomes 'do'. If the noun is masculine, you must use 'do'.
Yes, it's very common in formal emails to express a request or intent.
No, for that you use 'Eu gostei' (I liked) or 'Eu gostava' (I used to like).
Not exactly a slang version of the phrase, but 'Tô querendo' (I'm wanting) is a very casual way to express a current craving.
No, that requires a different structure: 'Eu gostaria que você...' + Subjunctive.
Expressions liées
Eu queria
similarI wanted / I would like
Eu desejo
specialized formI desire
Poderia...
similarCould you...
Eu prefiro
contrastI prefer
Se faz favor
builds onPlease (Portugal)
