The verb GUSTAR and similar verbs

Spanish: El verbo GUSTAR y verbos similares

Level: A2 Elementary

Category: verbs

Explanation

The verb "gustar" works differently from most verbs in Spanish. It does not literally mean "to like" in a direct sense, but rather "to be pleasing to". That is why the structure is reversed: the thing that is liked is the grammatical subject, and the person who likes it is an indirect object. The basic structure is: indirect object pronoun (me, te, le, nos, os, les) + verb + subject. For example, "Me gusta el café" literally means "Coffee is pleasing to me". The verb agrees with the thing that is liked, not with the person. If the thing is singular, we use "gusta"; if plural, we use "gustan": "Me gusta el libro" / "Me gustan los libros". When what is liked is an action (an infinitive verb), we always use the singular form "gusta", even with several infinitives: "Me gusta leer y escribir". To emphasize or clarify who the person is, we add "a + person" at the beginning: "A mí me gusta", "A ella le gusta", "A los niños les gusta". Many other verbs follow this exact same structure: encantar (to love), interesar (to interest), importar (to matter), molestar (to bother), doler (to hurt), faltar (to lack), quedar (to remain/fit). They all use the indirect object pronouns and agree with the thing, not the person.

Examples

• Me gusta el cafe con leche. - I like coffee with milk.
• Te gustan los pasteles de aqui? - Do you like the pastries here?
• A mi me encanta esta habitacion. - I love this room.
• Le interesa una habitacion con vistas? - Are you interested in a room with a view?
• Nos gustan las naranjas frescas. - We like fresh oranges.