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2.4: El verbo "gustar"

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    The Verb "Gustar"

    So far we have learned Spanish expressions such as "el gusto es mío" (the pleasure is mine), where "gusto" means "pleasure."

    Spanish does not have a verb that directly means "to like". The closest verb for expressing likes and dislikes is the verb "gustar".

    The verb gustar doesn’t work like "to like" in English. It actually means "to be pleasing." So instead of saying "I like Spanish," Spanish speakers say "Spanish is pleasing to me."

    Since "gustar" means "to please," a sentence in Spanish using a direct "subject-verb" structure, as in English, would be incorrect:

    English: I like Spanish.

    Incorrect Spanish: Yo gusto español. (This means I please Spanish.)

    Correct Spanish: Me gusta el español. (Spanish is pleasing to me.)

    Therefore, to express likes and dislikes in Spanish, do the following:

    1. Use an indirect object to show to whom something is pleasing:
      • a mí, a ti, a él/ella, a nosotros, a ellos, etc. (This is optional but helps clarify or emphasize who likes something.)
    2. Add the correct indirect object pronoun (IOP):
      • me, te, le, nos, les (This replaces the subject pronoun in English.)
    3. Use gusta or gustan depending on whether what is liked is singular or a verb (gusta) or plural (gustan):
      • Me gusta cantar y me gusta el fútbol. (I like to sing and I like soccer.) Nos gustan los tacos. (We like tacos.)

    The following chart shows the change of the "someone" as subject pronoun (crossed out) to "someone" as the receiver of the action (indirect object pronoun=IOP). All words in blue and bold reflect the replacement of the normal subject pronouns that are now the clarifier (IO) + the IOP.

    Transformation of Subject Pronouns into Indirect Object Pronouns to Conjugate Gustar
    Subject Pronoun Clarifier (IO) IOP Subject Pronoun Clarifier (IO) IOP
    yo A mí me nosotros, nosotras A nosotros/as nos
    tú A ti te vosotros, vosotras A vosotros/as os
    usted A usted le ustedes A ustedes les
    él A él le ellos A ellos les
    ella A ella le ellas A ellas les

    Six Key Differences with the Verb 'Gustar'

    1. It always uses an indirect object pronoun: me gusta(n), te gusta(n), les gusta(n)...
    2. It may also use an IO as clarifier: "a + name or prepositional pronoun or noun": a mí me gusta(n), a usted le gusta(n)...
    3. The clarifier goes in front of the sentence: a nosotros nos gusta(n)
    4. It only has two conjugations:
      1. "gusta" for actions (verbs in the infinitive -whether there is one or more than one verb) or for a singular noun: A ellas les gusta correr y bailar.
      2. "gustan" for plural nouns: A él le gustan los autos deportivos.
    5. It is conjugated based on the number of the object liked: Me gusta la casa (singular); me gustan las casas (plural).
    6. If it is followed by a noun, it must include the definite article. If it is followed by a verb, the verb is not conjugated (infinitive) and the definite article is not used.

    Complete Conjugation of the Verb "Gustar"

    In the chart below, all words in blue and bold are used in sentences with the verb "gustar" in replacement of the normal subject pronouns.

    With Verbs:

    Gustar + Second Verb as Subject
    Clarifier IOP Verb Second Verb Acting as Subject Clarifier IOP Verb Second Verb Acting as Subject
    A mí me gusta estudiar. A nosotros, a nosotras nos gusta estudiar.
    A ti te gusta estudiar. A vosotros, a vosotras os gusta estudiar.
    A usted le gusta estudiar. A ustedes les gusta estudiar.
    A él le gusta estudiar. A ellos les gusta estudiar.
    A ella le gusta estudiar. A ellas les gusta estudiar.

    With Singular Nouns:

    Gustar + Nouns
    Clarifier IOP Verb Subject (sing. noun) Clarifier IOP Verb Subject (sing. noun)
    A mí me gusta la clase de español. A nosotros, a nosotras nos gusta la clase de español.
    A ti te gusta la clase de español. A vosotros, a vosotras os gusta la clase de español.
    A usted le gusta la clase de español. A ustedes les gusta la clase de español.
    A él le gusta la clase de español. A ellos les gusta la clase de español.
    A ella le gusta la clase de español. A ellas les gusta la clase de español.

    With Plural Nouns:

    Gustar + Plural Nouns
    Clarifier IOP Verb Subject (pl. noun) Clarifier IOP Verb Subject (pl. noun)
    A mí me gustan los idiomas. A nosotros, a nosotras nos gustan los idiomas.
    A ti te gustan los idiomas. A vosotros, a vosotras os gustan los idiomas.
    A usted le gustan los idiomas. A ustedes les gustan los idiomas.
    A él le gustan los idiomas. A ellos les gustan los idiomas.
    A ella le gustan los idiomas. A ellas les gustan los idiomas.

    To express dislike, simply place the "no" directly in front of the IOP:

    Negative Sentences With Gustar
    Clarifier no IOP Verb Subject Clarifier no IOP Verb Subject
    A Elsa no le gusta la música clásica. A ellos no les gusta la música Reggaetón.
    A ti no te gusta cenar tarde. A nosotros no nos gusta cantar.
    A mí no me gustan las matemáticas. A vosotros no os gustan los problemas.

    To express that you like something very much, add the adverb "mucho" directly after the verb "gustar":

    Gustar + Mucho
    Clarifier IOP Verb + Adverb Subject Clarifier IOP Verb + Adverb Subject
    A Tito le gusta mucho la fruta. A nosotros nos gusta mucho la fruta.
    A mí me gusta mucho viajar. A las chicas les gusta mucho viajar.
    A usted le gustan mucho los chocolates. A ustedes les gustan mucho los chocolates.

    This page titled 2.4: El verbo "gustar" is shared under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Sara Jacome-Thompson, Evergreen Valley College (ASCCC Open Educational Resources Initiative) .