gosto

Gosto is a Portuguese noun with two primary senses: the sense of taste or flavor in food and drink, and a person’s liking or preference for something. In culinary use, gosto refers to the sensory impression of taste, as in phrases describing a dish’s flavor, such as the doce (sweet) or amargo (bitter) gosto. In a broader sense, it denotes personal preference or taste, as in gostar or ter gosto por algo, where gosto expresses what someone likes or enjoys.

Etymology and related forms: Gosto comes from Latin gustus meaning “taste,” through the development of Old Portuguese gosto and its connection to the verb gostar “to like.” The word is related to other Romance forms that express taste or liking, reflecting a common root in the sense of sensory experience and personal preference.

Usage and nuance: The standard construction to express preference is gosto de + noun or infinitive, for example, gosto de música clássica or gosto de viajar. Gosto por is found less commonly and is sometimes considered more formal or regional. Gosto can also describe flavor profiles, such as gosto suave (mellowness) or gosto picante (spiciness). In contrast, the word sabor more directly names the actual flavor or taste, while paladar refers to the sense of taste more generally as an organ or faculty.

See also: sabor, paladar, gosto por. Gosto is widely used in Brazilian and European Portuguese to express both sensory experiences and personal preferences in everyday language.