Gostar is an important verb to learn and is luckily fairly easy to use. It means “to like,” but is used in various contexts. Unlike the Spanish gustar, which is a bit tricky for English-speakers to learn, gostar is a completely regular verb.
Here are of gostar’s uses.
First, in the present tense, it can mean something you normally enjoy or prefer.
Example: Você gosta de futebol? Do you like soccer?
Also in the present tense, it means if you are attracted to someone.
Example: Ele gosta da minha irmã. He likes [is attracted to] my sister.
Next, used in the gerund form, it can mean something you are currently enjoying at the moment.
Example: Estou gostando do Rio. I’m enjoying Rio.
In the past tense, it’s a very simple way of saying you had a good time or enjoyed something.
Example: Você gostou da festa? Did you have a good time at the party?
Gostei. Yes, I did.
Finally, used in the conditional tense, it means something you’d like to do.
Example: Gostariamos de conhecer Cuba. We’d like to visit Cuba.
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