Gustar and Similar Verbs in Spanish

Learn how to express likes, dislikes, and preferences in Spanish! The verb GUSTAR works differently than in English - it's "backwards" - but once you understand the pattern, it's easy!

The "Backwards" Structure

In English we say: "I like pizza" (subject + verb + object)

In Spanish we say: "Me gusta la pizza" (literally: "Pizza is pleasing to me")

The thing you like is the SUBJECT, not the object!

The GUSTAR Pattern

Basic Structure

Indirect Object Pronoun + GUSTA/GUSTAN + thing(s)

The Pronouns

GUSTA vs. GUSTAN

Rule:

• GUSTA = singular thing OR infinitive verb
• GUSTAN = plural things

Complete Examples

Singular Nouns

Me gusta la música (I like music)
Te gusta el chocolate (You like chocolate)
Le gusta el fútbol (He/She likes soccer)
Nos gusta la playa (We like the beach)
Les gusta el libro (They like the book)

Plural Nouns

Me gustan las flores (I like flowers)
Te gustan los deportes (You like sports)
Le gustan los animales (He/She likes animals)
Nos gustan las películas (We like movies)
Les gustan los videojuegos (They like video games)

Infinitive Verbs

Me gusta correr (I like to run)
Te gusta leer (You like to read)
Le gusta cocinar (He/She likes to cook)
Nos gusta viajar (We like to travel)
Les gusta estudiar (They like to study)

Multiple Things

When you like multiple activities (infinitives), use GUSTA (singular):

Me gusta leer y escribir (I like to read and write)
Nos gusta cantar y bailar (We like to sing and dance)

Clarifying WHO Likes Something

Use A + person to clarify or emphasize:

Examples:

A mí me gusta el café, pero a ti te gusta el té
(I like coffee, but you like tea)

A María le gusta bailar
(María likes to dance)

A mis padres les gustan los perros
(My parents like dogs)

Expressing Dislikes

NO + GUSTAR

Simply add NO before the pronoun:

No me gusta el brócoli (I don't like broccoli)
No te gustan las arañas (You don't like spiders)
No le gusta levantarse temprano (He/She doesn't like to wake up early)

Similar Verbs to GUSTAR

These verbs work EXACTLY like gustar:

1. ENCANTAR (to love, to really like)

Examples:

Me encanta esta canción (I love this song)
Nos encantan las vacaciones (We love vacations)

2. INTERESAR (to interest, to be interesting)

Me interesa la historia (History interests me / I'm interested in history)
Te interesan los idiomas (Languages interest you)

3. MOLESTAR (to bother, to annoy)

Me molesta el ruido (Noise bothers me)
Les molestan los mosquitos (Mosquitoes bother them)

4. IMPORTAR (to matter, to be important)

Me importa tu opinión (Your opinion matters to me)
No me importa (I don't care / It doesn't matter to me)

5. FASCINAR (to fascinate)

Me fascina el arte (Art fascinates me)
Les fascina viajar (Traveling fascinates them)

6. ABURRIR (to bore)

Me aburre la clase (The class bores me)
Te aburren las reuniones (Meetings bore you)

7. DOLER (to hurt, to ache)

Me duele la cabeza (My head hurts)
Me duelen los pies (My feet hurt)

8. FALTAR (to lack, to be missing)

Me falta dinero (I'm missing money / I lack money)
Nos faltan dos libros (We're missing two books)

Quick Reference: All Verbs

Degrees of Liking

From most to least positive:

Me encanta ❤️❤️❤️ (I LOVE it)
Me gusta mucho ❤️❤️ (I really like it)
Me gusta ❤️ (I like it)
No me gusta 😐 (I don't like it)
No me gusta nada 😣 (I don't like it at all)
Me molesta 😤 (It bothers me)

Asking Questions

Do you like...?

Pattern: ¿Te/Le gusta(n)...?

¿Te gusta el café? (Do you like coffee?) - informal
¿Le gusta el café? (Do you like coffee?) - formal
¿Te gustan los gatos? (Do you like cats?)

What do you like?

¿Qué te gusta? (What do you like?) - singular things
¿Qué te gusta hacer? (What do you like to do?)
¿Qué tipo de música te gusta? (What type of music do you like?)

Practice Dialogues

Dialogue 1: Talking About Preferences

Ana: ¿Te gusta el chocolate?
Pedro: Sí, me encanta el chocolate. ¿Y a ti?
Ana: A mí también me gusta, pero me gusta más la vainilla.
Pedro: ¿Te gustan los dulces?
Ana: Sí, me gustan mucho. Especialmente las galletas.
Pedro: A mí no me gustan tanto los dulces. Prefiero lo salado.

Translation:
Ana: Do you like chocolate?
Pedro: Yes, I love chocolate. And you?
Ana: I like it too, but I like vanilla more.
Pedro: Do you like sweets?
Ana: Yes, I like them a lot. Especially cookies.
Pedro: I don't like sweets that much. I prefer savory things.

Dialogue 2: Discussing Activities

Carlos: ¿Qué te gusta hacer los fines de semana?
María: Me gusta salir con amigos. ¿Y a ti?
Carlos: A mí me gusta quedarme en casa y leer.
María: ¿Te gusta leer? ¿Qué tipo de libros te gustan?
Carlos: Me gustan las novelas de misterio.
María: Ah, a mí me aburren un poco. Me gustan más las biografías.

Translation:
Carlos: What do you like to do on weekends?
María: I like to go out with friends. And you?
Carlos: I like to stay home and read.
María: You like to read? What type of books do you like?
Carlos: I like mystery novels.
María: Ah, they bore me a bit. I like biographies more.

Dialogue 3: At a Restaurant

Mesero: Buenas noches. ¿Qué les gusta comer?
Cliente 1: A mí me gusta la pasta. ¿Tienen espaguetis?
Mesero: Sí, tenemos. ¿Y a usted?
Cliente 2: A mí me encanta el pescado. ¿Qué pescados tienen?
Mesero: Tenemos salmón y atún.
Cliente 2: Perfecto. Me interesa el salmón.
Cliente 1: ¿Les gustan las ensaladas también?
Mesero: Sí, nos encantan nuestras ensaladas. Son muy frescas.

Translation:
Waiter: Good evening. What do you like to eat?
Customer 1: I like pasta. Do you have spaghetti?
Waiter: Yes, we do. And you?
Customer 2: I love fish. What fish do you have?
Waiter: We have salmon and tuna.
Customer 2: Perfect. The salmon interests me.
Customer 1: Do you all like salads too?
Waiter: Yes, we love our salads. They're very fresh.

Practice Exercises

Exercise 1: GUSTA or GUSTAN?

Choose the correct form:

1. Me _____ (gusta/gustan) los perros.
2. Te _____ (gusta/gustan) el café.
3. Le _____ (gusta/gustan) bailar.
4. Nos _____ (gusta/gustan) las películas.
5. Les _____ (gusta/gustan) cocinar y leer.

Answers: 1. gustan (plural), 2. gusta (singular), 3. gusta (infinitive), 4. gustan (plural), 5. gusta (multiple infinitives = singular)

Exercise 2: Fill in the Pronoun

Complete with me/te/le/nos/les:

1. A mí _____ gusta el chocolate.
2. A ti _____ gustan los deportes.
3. A ella _____ gusta estudiar.
4. A nosotros _____ gusta viajar.
5. A ellos _____ gustan los videojuegos.

Answers: 1. me, 2. te, 3. le, 4. nos, 5. les

Exercise 3: Translate to Spanish

1. I like pizza.
2. She loves cats.
3. We don't like the noise.
4. Do you (informal) like to dance?
5. They are interested in history.

Answers:

1. Me gusta la pizza.
2. Le encantan los gatos. / A ella le encantan los gatos.
3. No nos gusta el ruido.
4. ¿Te gusta bailar?
5. Les interesa la historia.

Exercise 4: Make It Negative

Change to negative:

1. Me gusta el café. → _____
2. Te gustan los gatos. → _____
3. Nos gusta bailar. → _____
4. Le encantan las flores. → _____
5. Me importa tu opinión. → _____

Answers: 1. No me gusta el café, 2. No te gustan los gatos, 3. No nos gusta bailar, 4. No le encantan las flores, 5. No me importa tu opinión

Exercise 5: Express Your Preferences

Write 5 complete sentences about your likes/dislikes using different verbs (gustar, encantar, interesar, molestar, etc.):

Example Answers:

1. Me encanta la música rock.
2. Me gustan los animales.
3. Me interesa aprender idiomas.
4. Me molesta el tráfico.
5. No me gusta levantarme temprano.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

❌ Mistake 1: Using Wrong Verb Form

• Wrong: Me gusto el café.
• Right: Me gusta el café.
• Why: The coffee is pleasing (gusta), not "I please"

❌ Mistake 2: Wrong Pronoun

• Wrong: Yo gusto el chocolate.
• Right: Me gusta el chocolate.
• Why: Use indirect object pronoun (me), not subject (yo)

❌ Mistake 3: GUSTAN with Infinitives

• Wrong: Me gustan bailar y cantar.
• Right: Me gusta bailar y cantar.
• Why: Infinitives always take singular GUSTA

❌ Mistake 4: Forgetting the Article

• Wrong: Me gusta café.
• Right: Me gusta el café.
• Why: Usually need the article (el/la/los/las)

❌ Mistake 5: Wrong Agreement with Plural

• Wrong: Me gusta los perros.
• Right: Me gustan los perros.
• Why: Plural noun = GUSTAN

Quick Reference Chart

Formula

[A + person] + PRONOUN + GUSTA/GUSTAN + THING/ACTIVITY
   (optional)   (required)   (matches noun)   (subject)

A mí + me + gusta + el café
A María + le + gustan + los gatos
         nos + gusta + bailar

When to Use GUSTA vs. GUSTAN

Pronoun Reference

4-Week Action Plan

Week 1: Master GUSTAR

• Day 1-2: Learn the basic pattern with GUSTA (singular)
• Day 3-4: Practice GUSTAN with plural nouns
• Day 5-6: Master using GUSTA with infinitives
• Day 7: Review and do exercises 1-2

Week 2: Questions and Negatives

• Day 8-10: Practice asking "¿Te gusta...?" questions
• Day 11-12: Master negative forms (No me gusta)
• Day 13-14: Practice dialogues 1-2 out loud

Week 3: Similar Verbs

• Day 15-17: Learn 4 similar verbs (encantar, interesar, molestar, importar)
• Day 18-19: Practice using all verbs in sentences
• Day 20-21: Complete exercises 3-5

Week 4: Real Practice

• Day 22-24: Have conversations about preferences
• Day 25-26: Write about 10 things you like/don't like
• Day 27-28: Watch Spanish content noting gustar usage

Pro Tips

1. Think Backwards: Remember the thing you like is the SUBJECT
2. Start with "A mí": Helps clarify and sounds more natural
3. Listen Carefully: Native speakers use gustar constantly - pay attention
4. Practice Daily: Say 3 things you like/don't like each day
5. Use Emphasis: "Me encanta" is stronger than "me gusta mucho"
6. Watch Articles: Don't forget el/la/los/las before nouns

Cultural Note

Spanish speakers use "Me encanta" much more frequently than English speakers say "I love it." It's not considered overly dramatic - it's just normal enthusiasm! Also, expressing dislikes directly is common and not considered rude when discussing preferences, food, or activities.

Memory Tricks

• "ME before GUSTA": Like "Me Gucci" (fashion before you!)
• "GUSTAN = more than 1": "-an" ending = plural
• "Infinitives = GUSTA": To do = singular action
• "Backwards thinking": The pizza likes itself TO me!
• "LE could be 3 people": él, ella, usted (he, she, you formal)

Next Steps

After mastering gustar and similar verbs, you can:

1. Learn more preference verbs (preferir, querer)
2. Study the subjunctive with preference expressions
3. Practice expressing degrees of preference with más que, menos que
4. Learn idiomatic expressions with gustar

Keep practicing and you'll be expressing your likes and dislikes naturally in Spanish! 👍