Contents · A1
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To say what you like, Spanish uses the verb gustar, which is built like English “to please”: the thing liked is the subject of the verb, and the person who likes it is its object.
Me gusta, me gustan: saying what you like#
Formation
The person who likes is expressed by me (“to me”), placed before the verb. The verb agrees with the thing liked, which is its subject: gusta with a singular noun or an infinitive, gustan with a plural noun. The noun liked takes the definite article: Me gusta el café con leche, Me gustan los gatos negros.
| What is liked | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| a singular noun | me gusta + el, la | Me gusta la música italiana. |
| a plural noun | me gustan + los, las | Me gustan las flores blancas. |
| an infinitive | me gusta | Me gusta bailar. |
An infinitive is a singular subject, even when a plural noun follows it: Me gusta comer tomates. The negative no comes before me: No me gusta el frío. How much you like something is expressed with mucho or bastante, after the verb: Me gusta mucho el cine. At A1, gustar is used in the first person, with me.
Use
Gustar expresses what you like: a thing, an activity, a place. Me gusta is understood as “it pleases me”: Me gusta el mar en invierno means “I like the sea in winter”, literally “the sea pleases me”.
- Me gusta mucho el chocolate.I like chocolate a lot.
- Me gustan mucho los perros grandes.I really like big dogs.
- No me gusta la lluvia.I don't like rain.
- Me gusta nadar en el mar.I like swimming in the sea.
- Me gustan bastante las películas italianas.I quite like Italian films.
Difference from English
With “like”, the person who likes is the subject: “I like cats”. With gustar, as with “please”, the subject is the thing liked: Me gustan los gatos negros (“black cats please me”). So the verb does not agree with “I” but with the thing: gusta for one thing, gustan for several. English leaves out the article with a noun taken in general (“I like green tea”); Spanish uses it: me gusta el té verde. “I like it” is simply me gusta: the “it” is the subject, already shown by the verb. “Very much” is mucho, never muy mucho.
Common mistakes
Yo gusto el té.→ Me gusta el té.The person who likes is me; the verb agrees with the thing liked.Me gusta las naranjas.→ Me gustan las naranjas.Las naranjas is plural, so the verb is gustan.Me gusta pan.→ Me gusta el pan.The noun liked takes the article, even where English has none.Me gustan bailar y cantar.→ Me gusta bailar y cantar.With infinitives, the verb is singular.Me gusta lo.→ Me gusta.“It” is the subject of gusta and is not expressed.Me gusta muy mucho el cine.→ Me gusta mucho el cine.“Very much” after a verb is mucho alone.
Remember
Me gusta is used for one thing or an activity, me gustan for several things.
In short
| Point | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| subject | the thing liked | Me gusta el pan blanco. |
| one thing, an infinitive | gusta | Me gusta leer. |
| several things | gustan | Me gustan los libros de música. |
| article | always before the noun | Me gusta la música italiana. |
| negation | no before me | No me gusta el frío. |
| degree | mucho, bastante after the verb | Me gusta mucho. |
Practise
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