Portuguese Phrase
Gostou da comida?
Meaning
A polite way to ask someone if they liked the food that was just served. It can be used after a home‑cooked meal, in a restaurant, or at a gathering, and it shows interest in the other person’s experience.
When to use
Use this question right after the meal, when you want to check if the guest enjoyed the dish, or when you’re curious about a restaurant’s menu. It works in both casual and semi‑formal settings, but keep a friendly tone.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Gostoudacomida
Gostar (pretérito perfeito)
‘Gostou’ is the third‑person singular form of the verb ‘gostar’ in the simple past (pretérito perfeito). In informal speech it is used for ‘você’ (you).
Preposition ‘de’ → contraction ‘da’
‘Gostar’ always takes the preposition ‘de’. When the noun that follows is feminine singular with the article ‘a’, ‘de + a’ contracts to ‘da’.
Subject‑verb agreement
Even though ‘gostou’ is third‑person singular, Portuguese often omits the subject pronoun; the listener infers ‘você’ from context.
🗨In Conversation
Gostou da comida?
Did you like the food?
Sim, estava deliciosa! Muito obrigada.
Yes, it was delicious! Thank you very much.
✕Common Mistakes
Gostou a comida?
‘Gostar’ never uses the preposition ‘a’; it must be ‘de’ (or ‘da’ after the article).
Gostou de comida?
When you refer to a specific dish, you need the definite article: ‘da comida’. ‘De comida’ sounds generic.
Gostou da comidas?
The noun ‘comida’ is singular; the correct plural would be ‘comidas’, and the contraction would be ‘das’.
↔Alternatives
Você gostou da comida?
Did you like the food?
A comida foi do seu agrado?
Was the food to your liking?
Curtiu a comida?
Did you enjoy the food?
A comida estava boa?
Was the food good?
Cultural Tip
In Brazil, asking about the food is a sign of hospitality. When you’re a host, it’s common to follow up with a comment like ‘Fico feliz que tenha gostado’. With older people or in formal settings, you might prefer the more polite ‘A comida foi do seu agrado?’ rather than the informal ‘Curtiu a comida?’. Also, remember that ‘gostar’ never takes a direct object; the preposition ‘de’ (or its contraction ‘da’) is always required.