apetece-me + Infinitive

Apetecer Construction

Level 4

The verb apetecer is used to say you 'feel like' doing something or 'have a craving' for something. Unlike querer (to want), it describes a mood or physical inclination rather than a firm decision.

How It Works

1. Sentence Structure and Subject
In this construction, the thing desired (the noun or the infinitive verb) is actually the grammatical subject. The person is represented by an indirect object pronoun.
• Apetece-me um café. (A coffee appeals to me / I feel like a coffee).
• Apetece-nos sair. (Going out appeals to us / We feel like going out).
• Apetecem-lhe estas uvas? (Do these grapes appeal to you? — Note the plural verb agreement with 'uvas').

2. Regional Differences in Clitic Placement
Placement of the pronoun depends on the region:
• European Portuguese (EP): Uses enclisis (after the verb) in affirmative sentences: Apetece-me...
• Brazilian Portuguese (BP): While proclisis (Me apetece...) is the natural placement in speech, the verb apetecer itself is much less common in Brazil than in Portugal.

3. Negatives and Subordination
When using negation or certain conjunctions, the pronoun always moves before the verb:
• Não me apetece comer. (I don't feel like eating).
• Se lhe apetece, faça-o. (If you feel like it, do it).

4. Register and Frequency
In Portugal, this is a daily staple. In Brazil, it is considered formal or literary. Brazilians usually prefer the expression estar com vontade de (related to Estar Com expressions) or the colloquial estar a fim de to express desire.

Examples (5)

  1. Apetece-me ir ao cinema hoje.

    I feel like going to the movies today.

    Word by Word: Appeals-to-me to-go to-the cinema today.

    Standard European Portuguese usage with the pronoun after the verb.

  2. Não nos apetece fazer nada agora.

    We don't feel like doing anything now.

    Word by Word: Not to-us appeals to-do nothing now.

    The negative word 'não' pulls the pronoun before the verb.

  3. Se te apetecer um gelado, avisa-me.

    If you feel like an ice cream, let me know.

    Word by Word: If to-you appeals an ice-cream, inform-me.

    Here, 'apetecer' is in the future subjunctive because of the 'if' condition.

  4. Apetecia-lhe viajar, mas não tinha dinheiro.

    He felt like traveling, but he didn't have money.

    Word by Word: Appealed-to-him to-travel, but not had money.

    Using the imperfect tense to describe a past feeling or state.

  5. Apetecem-me uns pastéis de nata.

    I feel like having some custard tarts.

    Word by Word: Appeal-to-me some pastries of cream.

    The verb becomes plural because the subject (pastéis) is plural.

Common Mistakes

  • Using a subject pronoun (Eu, Tu, Nós) instead of an indirect object pronoun.

    Eu apetece-me comer.
    Apetece-me comer.

    The 'I' is already represented by the pronoun 'me'. Adding 'Eu' is redundant and grammatically incorrect in this structure.

  • Conjugating the verb to match the person instead of the object/action.

    Nós apetecemos sair.
    Apetece-nos sair.

    The verb must agree with the action (sair), which is singular. It does not agree with the people (nos).

Words in This Pattern

apetecerme