disto/disso/daquilo
Contraction with Neuter Demonstratives (De)
In Portuguese, when the preposition de (of/from/about) meets the neuter pronouns isto, isso, or aquilo, they usually merge into disto, disso, and daquilo.
How It Works
The preposition de is required by many verbs (like gostar de) and adjectives. When followed by a neuter demonstrative, the contraction is standard in most cases.
1. The Three Forms:
- Disto (de + isto): Refers to something near the speaker or a new idea.
- Disso (de + isso): Refers to something near the listener or something already mentioned. This is the most common form in Brazil.
- Daquilo (de + aquilo): Refers to something far from both people or in the distant past.
2. Important Nuance:
While these contractions are standard, formal written Portuguese avoids them when the pronoun is the subject of an infinitive verb (e.g., A probabilidade de isso acontecer).
3. Fixed Expressions:
Become proficient in these common phrases:
- Além disso: Furthermore / Besides that.
- Apesar disso: Despite that / Nevertheless.
- Antes disso: Before that.
4. Neuter vs. Gendered:
Unlike deste, which modifies a noun (deste livro), these neuter forms stand alone to represent a whole concept or an unnamed object.
Examples (4)
- Eu não gosto disso.
I don't like that.
Word by Word: I not like of-that.
The verb 'gostar' requires the preposition 'de'. Since we are referring to an abstract 'that' (something already mentioned), we use 'disso'.
- O que você acha disto que eu fiz?
What do you think of this that I did?
Word by Word: The what you think of-this that I did?
'Disto' is used here because the speaker is referring to something they are currently presenting or showing.
- Eu me lembro daquilo que aconteceu ano passado.
I remember that which happened last year.
Word by Word: I me remember of-that that happened year past.
'Daquilo' refers to a distant event in the past.
- Precisamos falar disso mais tarde.
We need to talk about that later.
Word by Word: We-need to-talk of-that more late.
'Disso' refers to a topic previously mentioned in the conversation.
Common Mistakes
Failing to contract the preposition and the pronoun in general speech.
Eu gosto de isso.Eu gosto disso.In almost all spoken and informal contexts, contractions like 'disso' are mandatory. However, in formal writing, you should keep them separate if the pronoun is the subject of an infinitive verb (e.g., 'O fato de isso ser verdade').
Using neuter forms to describe a specific noun.
Eu gosto disto livro.Eu gosto deste livro.Neuter pronouns (disto/disso/daquilo) stand alone to represent concepts. You must use gendered forms like deste or desse when a specific noun follows.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To understand 'disto', 'disso', and 'daquilo', you first need to be familiar with the neuter demonstrative pronouns (isto, isso, aquilo) and how the preposition 'de' functions. Knowledge of basic contractions like 'do' and 'da' helps in recognizing the pattern of dropping the 'e' in 'de' to merge with the following vowel.
Related Patterns
- nisto/nisso/naquiloContraction with Neuter Demonstratives (Em)
These are the equivalent contractions using the preposition 'em' (in/on) instead of 'de'.
Level 2 - deste/desta/destes/destasContraction Deste
These are the gendered versions used when referring to specific masculine or feminine nouns.
Level 2 - gostar de + Noun/InfinitiveGostar De
A common verb that triggers the use of 'de', often leading to these contractions.
Level 1
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Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice disto/disso/daquilo in Bubblegum
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