Introduction
One of the trickiest things for English speakers is that "I like pizza" in Spanish is literally "Pizza is pleasing to me": Me gusta la pizza. The subject and object are flipped. This lesson breaks down how gustar works and introduces other verbs that follow the same pattern.
How Gustar Works
The thing you like is the subject of the sentence. You are the indirect object.
| English | Spanish | Literally |
|---|---|---|
| I like the book. | Me gusta el libro. | The book is pleasing to me. |
| I like the books. | Me gustan los libros. | The books are pleasing to me. |
The verb agrees with what you like (not with you!)
- Gusta = singular subject (one thing or an infinitive)
- Gustan = plural subject (multiple things)
Indirect Object Pronouns with Gustar
| Person | Pronoun | Example |
|---|---|---|
| I | me | Me gusta el café. |
| you (tú) | te | Te gusta el café. |
| he/she/you (usted) | le | Le gusta el café. |
| we | nos | Nos gusta el café. |
| they/you all | les | Les gusta el café. |
Clarifying with a
Since le and les are ambiguous, add a + person for clarity:
- A Juan le gusta el fútbol. — Juan likes soccer.
- A ella le gustan los gatos. — She likes cats.
- A ustedes les gusta bailar. — You all like to dance.
Emphasizing with a mí, a ti
- A mí me gusta el chocolate. — I like chocolate. (emphasis on "I")
- A ti te gusta cocinar, ¿no? — You like to cook, right?
Liking Activities (Infinitives)
When what you like is an action, use the infinitive. The verb stays singular (gusta):
- Me gusta nadar. — I like to swim.
- Nos gusta viajar. — We like to travel.
- ¿Te gusta cocinar? — Do you like to cook?
Degrees of Liking
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| me encanta(n) | I love (it/them) |
| me gusta(n) mucho | I like (it/them) a lot |
| me gusta(n) | I like (it/them) |
| no me gusta(n) mucho | I don't like (it/them) much |
| no me gusta(n) | I don't like (it/them) |
| me disgusta(n) | I dislike (it/them) |
| odio | I hate (regular verb — Odio las arañas.) |
Other Verbs Like Gustar
These all follow the same "backwards" structure:
| Verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| encantar | to love | Me encanta la música. |
| interesar | to interest | Me interesan las ciencias. |
| importar | to matter | No me importa el dinero. |
| molestar | to bother | Me molesta el ruido. |
| faltar | to lack / be missing | Me falta tiempo. |
| doler | to hurt | Me duele la cabeza. |
| parecer | to seem | Me parece bien. |
| quedar | to remain / to fit | Me quedan dos días. |
| sorprender | to surprise | Me sorprende tu respuesta. |
| aburrir | to bore | Me aburren las reuniones. |
Common Mistakes
Yo gusto el café.→ Me gusta el café. (You are not the subject!)Me gusto la pizza.→ Me gusta la pizza. (The verb agrees with pizza, not with me.)Me gusta los libros.→ Me gustan los libros. (Plural subject → gustan.)
Practice
How do you say 'I like books'?
'A ella le ___ bailar.' Which form?
'Me ___ el ruido.' (The noise bothers me.)
Why do we say 'A Juan le gusta' instead of just 'Le gusta'?