Gustar and similar verbs
A1 El verbo gustar y similares 14 / 49
In short
Gustar does not work like English “to like” - it means “to please.” The thing you like is the subject, and you are the indirect object: Me gusta el café = “Coffee pleases me” = “I like coffee.”
The rule
Flip the sentence around. In “I like coffee,” English makes I the subject. Spanish makes el café the subject and puts me (the liker) in front as an indirect object.
Step 1 - Indirect object pronoun. Say WHO likes it with me, te, le, nos, os, les, placed before the verb.
Step 2 - The verb agrees with the THING liked (the real subject), so it is almost always third person - just two forms:
- gusta + a singular noun or an infinitive: Me gusta el chocolate. Me gusta bailar. (Even several infinitives keep gusta: Me gusta comer y dormir.)
- gustan + a plural noun, and also two singular things joined by y (unlike the infinitives above): Me gustan los perros. Me gustan el arroz y el guiso.
Step 3 - Optional a-phrase. le and les are ambiguous (to him? her? you? them?), so you often add a + name/pronoun for clarity or emphasis. The pronoun still stays:
A Juan le gusta el fútbol. · A mí me gusta el té, pero a ella le gusta el café.
The a before the name or stressed pronoun is obligatory. The stressed pronouns are: a mí, a ti, a él/ella/usted, a nosotros, a vosotros, a ellos/ustedes.
The a-phrase can name the liker with any noun, not just a name, and the pronoun agrees with it - le for one, les for several: A mi hermana le gusta dibujar. A los vecinos les gusta charlar. Note the contraction a + el -> al: Al recepcionista le gusta el turno de mañana, never a el recepcionista; a la, a los and a las stay as they are.
Negation: put no before the pronoun: No me gusta. With an a-phrase in front, no still sits immediately before the pronoun: A mí no me gusta. A los vecinos no les gusta.
Verbs that work the same way
| Verb | Meaning |
|---|---|
| encantar | to love (like a lot) |
| interesar | to interest |
| importar | to matter |
| molestar | to bother |
| doler (o->ue) | to hurt |
| faltar | to be missing / lacking |
| quedar | to have left / to suit |
| apetecer | to feel like |
| parecer | to seem |
With doler and body parts, use the definite article, not a possessive: Me duele la cabeza. Me duelen los pies. And encantar is already strong, so don’t add mucho.
Forms & patterns
The gustar frame
| (a + stressed pronoun) | pronoun | verb | subject (thing liked) |
|---|---|---|---|
| (A mí) | me | gusta | el cine. |
| (A ti) | te | gustan | las flores. |
| (A él/ella/usted) | le | gusta | leer. |
| (A nosotros) | nos | gustan | los deportes. |
| (A vosotros) | os | gusta | la música. |
| (A ellos/ustedes) | les | gustan | los idiomas. |
Examples
| Español | English |
|---|---|
| Me gusta el chocolate. | I like chocolate. |
| Me gustan los animales. | I like animals. |
| ¿Te gusta cocinar? | Do you like cooking? |
| A Juan le gusta el fútbol. | Juan likes football. |
| No nos gusta esperar. | We don’t like waiting. |
| A mí me encanta viajar. | I love travelling. |
| Me duele la cabeza. | My head hurts. |
| Me duelen los pies. | My feet hurt. |
Common mistakes
- Yo gusto el español. -> Me gusta el español. - you are not the subject; the thing liked is. Use me + gusta.
- Me gusta los perros. -> Me gustan los perros. - the verb agrees with the plural thing liked.
- Juan le gusta el café. -> A Juan le gusta el café. - name the liker with a (the liker is an indirect object), and keep le.
- A mí gusta bailar. -> A mí me gusta bailar. - the a-phrase does not replace the pronoun; keep me.
- Me duele mis pies. -> Me duelen los pies. - use gustan-type agreement and the article los, not a possessive.
- Me encanta mucho el cine. -> Me encanta el cine. - encantar already means “to like a lot,” so don’t add mucho.
Tips
- Translate in your head as “X pleases me,” not “I like X” - then the structure falls into place.
- Only two verb forms matter: gusta (one thing or an action) vs gustan (several things).
- le/les almost always want an a-phrase to say who: A ella le…, A ellos les…
- The a-phrase can also come last: A mi madre le duele la muñeca. = Le duele la muñeca a mi madre. - the pronoun stays either way.
- The same backwards pattern runs encantar, doler, interesar, importar, faltar, quedar - learn one, use them all.