This article explains in plain English how to use the Spanish verb gustar and similar verbs encantar and caer bien.
First of all, there is no verb for to like in Spanish as such. The verb gustar means to please and not to like.
In Spanish you need think of something pleasing someone and not someone liking something. For this reason when using the Spanish verb gustar there is:
- the person being pleased; and
- something doing the pleasing.
Let's take, for example, the English sentence 'I like the book'. In Spanish this is:
- Me gusta el libro = To me pleases the book.
Here, the person being pleased is 'me' and the thing doing the pleasing is 'the book'.
In the above example gusta (effectively it pleases) is used rather than gusto, because gusto would mean I please in this context.
This means:
- The thing doing the pleasing determines the verb ending (i.e. whether to use gusta or gustan); and
- The person being pleased does NOT determine the verb ending.
In short, when using the Spanish verb gustar you must forget the English language concept of someone liking something. Instead you should focus on the Spanish structure of something pleasing someone.
Let's initially focus on how to say someone likes thing(s)/object(s), rather than doing something. Look at the following examples:
- I like the book = To me pleases the book = Me gusta el libro.
- I like the books. = To me please the books. = Me gustan los libros.
- You like the car (talking to 1 friend/1 child) = To you pleases the car = Te gusta el coche.
- He likes the house = To him pleases the house = Le gusta la casa.
- She likes London. To her pleases London = Le gusta Londres.
- We like (the) museums = To us please the museums = Nos gustan los museos.
- You like the meal/food (speaking to 2(+) friends/2(+) children) = To you pleases the meal = Os gusta la comida.
- They like Madrid = To them pleases Madrid = Les gusta Madrid.
- You like the drink (speaking to 2(+) strangers) = To you pleases the drink = Les gusta la bebida.
As you will see in Spanish whatever is doing the pleasing determines the main verb with this type of structure.
In the Spanish structure essentially:
- The first part of the sentence is the person being pleased;
- The second part of the sentence is the word gusta (if one thing/object is doing the pleasing) or gustan (if two or more things/objects are doing the pleasing); and
- This is followed by saying whatever is doing the pleasing.
To form a sentence saying that someone likes something, follow the guidance below.
You firstly choose one of the following depending on who is the one liking (In Spanish this is the person being pleased):
- me = Use 'me' (to me) if saying 'I like'
- te = Use 'te' (to you) if saying 'You like' and talking to 1 friend/1 child
- le = Use 'le' (to it/to him/to her) if saying 'It/He/She likes'
- le = Use 'le' (to you) if saying 'You like' and talking to 1 stranger
- nos = Use 'nos' (to us) if saying 'We like'
- os = Use 'os' (to you) if saying 'You like' and talking to 2(+) friends/2(+) children
- les = Use 'les' (to them) if saying 'They like'
- les = Use 'les' (to you) if saying 'You like' and talking to 2(+) strangers
Your next word is gusta or gustan and you must choose one of them. Essentially:
• If the person likes one object/thing use 'gusta' = 'pleases'; and
• If the person likes two or more objects/things use 'gustan' = 'please'.
The next part of your sentence is saying what is liked. (In Spanish this is the thing(s) doing the pleasing).
If you are unsure on how to structure of your sentence, the previous examples further up in this article should help you.
Let's now look at how to say someone likes doing something.
To form a sentence to say that someone likes doing something (as opposed to liking an object or objects etc), follow this guidance:
- The first part of the sentence is the person being pleased (as discussed further above e.g. me, te, le, nos, os, les etc);
- The second part of the sentence is always the word 'gusta' when followed by a verb (or verbs) in the infinitive form (i.e. verb form ending in 'ar', 'er' or 'ir); and
- This is followed by saying the verb(s) in the infinitive form (i.e. verb form ending in 'ar', 'er' or 'ir').
Let´s look at some examples:
- I like to read = To me pleases to read = Me gusta leer.
- I like to read and to swim = To me pleases to read and to swim = Me gusta leer y nadar.
- You like to read (talking to 1 friend/1 child) = To you pleases to read = Te gusta leer.
- He likes to ski = To him pleases to ski = Le gusta esquiar.
- She likes to ski = To her pleases to ski = Le gusta esquiar.
- We like to travel = To us pleases to travel = Nos gusta viajar.
- You like to ski and to swim (speaking to 2(+) friends/2(+) children) = To you please to ski and to swim = Os gusta esquiar y nadar.
- They like to travel = To them pleases to travel. = Les gusta viajar.
- You like to skate (speaking to 2(+) strangers) = To you pleases to skate = Les gusta patinar.
Sometimes you may want to say a person´s name or mention who likes. When using the verb gustar, when doing this you should put the word "a" in front of the person who likes, for example:
- A Paul le gusta Londres = Paul likes London.
(= literally: To Paul to him pleases London) - A María le gustan los libros = Maria likes (the) books.
(= literally: To Maria to her please the books) - A Paul y a Juan les gustan los libros = Paul and Juan like (the) books.
(= literally: To Paul and to Juan please the books) - A María y a Sophia les gusta nadar = María and Sophia like to swim.
(= literally: To María and to Sophia pleases to swim)
The word a is essential with this structure using gustar. Without this word it could sound like the person is the one doing the pleasing, not the person being pleased.
An important alternative to using gustar is the verb structure caer bien. It is used to say that you like someone, but you do not fancy the person.
Essentially the structure is the same one as used for gustar except:
- instead of the word gusta (pleases), you say cae bien (pleases); and
- instead of the word gustan (please), you say caen bien (they please).
Compare, for example:
- Me gusta María.
= I like María (literally: To me pleases María)
- The person (possibly) fancies María.
Using the alternative of 'caer bien' removes this possibly meaning:
- Me cae bien María.
= I like María (literally: To me pleases María)
- The speaker just likes María (as a friend, etc.)
One other important verb that deserves mentioning is the verb encantar which means to delight.
Essentially the structure is the same as for gustar except:
- instead of the word gusta (it pleases etc), you say encanta (it delights etc.); and
- instead of the word gustan (they please etc), you say encantan (they delight etc.).
When using the verb encantar it often has the English meaning of love, therefore:
- Me encanta el libro. = I love the book. (literally: To me delights the book)
- Nos encantan los libros. = We love the books. (literally: To us delight the books)
Note: Regardless of the above, when you say you love someone, you usually should use querer (e.g. Te quiero = I love you (speaking to one person informally)). The verb querer is not discussed further here.
So far we have focused on the verb endings for gustar, encantar and caer bien being in the third person singular form i.e. it/he/she etc. form (gusta, encanta and cae bien) and third person plural form i.e. they etc form (gustan, encantan and caen bien).
However other verb forms are possible, for example:
- ¿Te gusto? = Do you like me? (Literally: To you I please?) (Speaking to one person informally)
- Nos gustas = We like you (Literally: To us you please) (Speaking to one person informally)
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Hopefully this article has been useful to you in understanding how to use the verb gustar as well as encantar and caer bien. To improve your Spanish further why not do online Spanish tuition? To get in contact click here or for more details on Spanish Language Tuition offered please click here.