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Me encanta cantar. I love to sing and enjoy learning new concepts through music.

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Learn Spanish - "The Me Gusta Song" (sing along) | "Gustar Song"

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This is a simple and short song that give you the basics of how to use gustar without making it too complicated. It is a fun song and very easy to understand.

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I thought this site was a simple and easy way to obtain a breakdown of the steps and process of using Gustar. I think it is a great resource for a quick tutorial.

https://vamospanish.com/discover/verbs-like-gustar/

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What is the meaning of the Spanish verb gustar?

Verbs like gustar often provide difficulties to new learners and are famously difficult to get right. The most recognizable of these verbs is of course, gustar. This verb is often translated to "to like" but it literally means to be "pleasing to". When using the verb gustar and other verbs like it, the subject of the sentence is the thing being liked, while the thing doing the liking is expressed using the indirect object, which we talked about in a previous grammar blog.

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As previously mentioned, the verb gustar requires the us of the IO, or the indirect object:

In English, the following sentences make sense and are written correctly:

Lets take a look at the two sentences more closely:
I like the car.

I = subject of the sentence

like = the verb

the car = the DO (direct object)

We like dogs.

We = the subject of the sentence

like = the verb

dogs = direct object

In English, it is correct to construct the sentence so that it depicts the subject doing the "liking" of the direct object. In Spanish, this is not the case. In Spanish, we use a different construction:

Notice how both the English and Spanish sentences are similar. They are just two different ways to express the same meaning.

One important thing to note is that in English, the subject of the sentence is the person (I, We). In Spanish, the subject of the sentence is the object (car, dogs)

Finally, it is important to notice that in English we use the direct object while in spanish we use the indirect object:

Let's analyze the following example: Me gustan los perros.

Literal translation: To me are pleasing the dogs.

Actual Translation: I like the dogs.

It is quite common for learners to confuse this topic when first learning it, and say "me gusto los libros" but, You will notice that the verb "gustar" is conjugated in the third person plural - gustan.

This is because the verb is conjugated according to the subject and in this case, the subject of the sentence is "the dogs". Remember, the conjugated verb always has to agree with the subject of the sentence.

If we change the subject of the sentence to be singular, then we use "gusta"

The indirect pronoun will change according to the person who is doing the liking

Remember that the IO pronoun is not the subject of the sentence:

Te gustás la manzana. - incorrecto

Nos gustamos las frutas. - incorrecto

Below are some more examples of the correct use of the verb gustar:

Let's take a look at the example "le gusta la naranja"

If you remember from our blogs about the direct object and indirect object, it is impossible to tell the exact meaning of this sentence without context. It could mean:

He likes the orange.

She likes the orange.

You (usted) the orange.

In order to avoid confusion, we often use prepositional phrases to clarify who the IO pronoun le refers to:

A él le gusta la naranja.

He likes the orange.

A Agustín le gusta la naranja.

Agustin likes the orange.

A ella le gusta la naranja.

She likes the orange.

A Sara le gusta la naranja.

Sara likes the orange.

A usted le gusta la naranja.

You (formal) like the orange.

Using the prepositional phrase allows us to remove the ambiguity of the sentence.

And now with les:

A ustedes les gusta la canción.

You guys like the song.

A ellos les gusta la canción.

They like the song.

A ellas les gusta la canción.

They like the song.

Using the prepositional phrase allows us to remove the ambiguity of the sentence.

A prepositional phrase can also be used when there is no ambiguity in the sentence. It is used to add emphasis:

A Marianela le gusta el helado.

A mí no me gusta el helado.

In the first example, "a Marianela" clarifies the ambiguous pronoun "le" where as in the second sentence "a mí" is used to add emphasis. It is emphasizing that I do not like ice cream in comparison to Marianela who does.

Now that you know how to correctly use the verb "gustar", below is a list of other common verbs that function in the same way:

interesar (to interest)

aburrir (to bore)

fascinar (to fascinate)

importar (to matter/be important)

dar asco (to be gross out)

bastar (to be sufficient)

picar (to itch)

parecer (to appear to be)

quedar (to be leftover/remain)

doler (to be painful)

Volver loco (to drive crazy)

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Gustar Verbs | Your 101 Guide to the Verb Gustar in Spanish

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Verbs like gustar often provide difficulties to new learners and are famously difficult to get right. The most recognizable of these verbs is of course, gustar. This verb is often translated to "to like" but it literally means to be pleasing to.

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This youtube channel is great and has helped me understand better. The video link is about the use of gustar.
https://youtu.be/ux7SeKCmYkE

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I like this resource because it breaks down how to use the verb, it talks about sentence structure when using the verb, and has many examples. This resource helps me because it has a lot of information about the nuances of verbs and Spanish language. It also has a section on similar verbs which is useful.

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Spanish sentences generally use the same order and sentence structure as English sentences. An example:

Here both sentences start with a subject, move on to a verb, and finish off with an object.
But this isn't always the case. Certain Spanish verbs basically work in reverse, which forces us to change the order of the sentence. Gustar is the most common of these verbs.

How to Use Gustar

How would you translate the following sentence?

If you look up "to like" in the dictionary, you'll probably be told to use gustar. This might prompt you to translate the sentence like this:

But that's not the correct translation even though gustar is the appropriate verb to use in this situation. While it's not wrong to say that gustar means "to like," it's not exactly true either. It's more accurate to say that gustar means "to be pleasing." Knowing that, you can see that you can't really translate "I like pizza" word for word. Instead you'll need to first change the sentence to something like this:

The meaning hasn't changed, but you're expressing it a different way. Notice that what used to be the object (pizza) is now the subject of the sentence, and what used to be the subject (I) is now an object (me).

Backward Verbs

So how do we translate "Pizza is pleasing to me"? Well, we still need to make another change before we can translate. Gustar is a member of a class of verbs sometimes called "backward verbs." Sentences that use these verbs have an abnormal sentence structure. Rather than appearing at the beginning of the sentence, the subject comes after the verb. Therefore the subject (the thing that is pleasing) comes at the end of the sentence, the form of gustar comes in front of that, and the sentence starts with an object pronoun (which refers to the person being pleased). So instead of "Pizza is pleasing to me" we should translate:

So how do we do that in Spanish? Follow this formula:

IOP (of person being pleased) + gustar + subject (thing that is pleasing)

What's an IOP? IOP stands for "indirect object pronoun." You'll learn more about IOPs later, but for right now refer to these charts:

Put it all together and here's what we get:

Here are some more examples:

Note: To say "I like it" simply omit the subject altogether: Me gusta.

Notice how the verb gusta doesn't change in any of the examples above. That's because the subject "pizza" doesn't change either.

What if you like more than one thing? Now we need to conjugate gustar differently. We need the plural form, gustan, since we now have a plural subject. Some examples:

Keep in mind that we're conjugating gustar to agree with the plural subjects at the end of the sentence ( tacos, galletas, huevos, and papas fritas). The objects ( me, te, nos, and les) don't affect our verb conjugation even though they're at the beginning of the sentence.

The vast majority of the time, you'll use either gusta (if one thing is liked) or gustan (for more than one thing). It's rare that you would need gustas or gustamos, and there are other, better ways of conveying that meaning. See Liking People below.

Note: Because they are not "countable" you should always use gusta with infinitives: Me gusta leer y escribir.

Using Gustar with More Than One Subject

Once you've learned about using plural subjects with gustar, you may encounter sentences that look like they contain a grammatical error, such as the following:

Me gusta el arte y la música.
I like art and music.

Art and music are two things, right? Shouldn't gusta (singular) really be gustan (plural)?

Not always. Things get a little messy when y is used in the subject. The official rule comes down to "countability." If your subjects are "countable" (tangible, concrete, specific), you should treat them as plural and use gustan:

Me gustan el vestido y la cartera.
I like the dress and the purse.

If your subjects are non-countable (abstract, indefinite), you should treat them as singular and use gusta:

Me gusta la tecnología y la moda.
I like technology and fashion.

Regardless of grammar, you're more likely to see and hear the singular gusta when the subject has an y in it, even if the subject is countable.

Ambiguity with Le and Les

If you use me, te, nos, or os as your indirect object pronoun, the meaning of the sentence should be clear. However, if you use le or les, it's not readily apparent whom you're talking about. For instance, how would you translate these sentences?

Le gustan los libros.
Le gustan las películas.
¿Les gustan las canciones?

The first sentence could be translated "He likes books," "She likes books," or even "You ( Ud.) like books." To clear up any confusion, Spanish speakers will often add some context to the sentence by adding a and a pronoun:

It may seem redundant to include both a él and le in the same sentence since they mean the same thing, but it happens regularly in Spanish. Even if we don't need to, we always use an indirect object pronoun with gustar.

In a similar way, if you need to include someone's name in the sentence, you'll start with a followed by their name, and you'll still use the indirect object pronoun:

Remember that the a is necessary because even though Elena, Marcos, Rodrigo and Felipe are at the beginning of the sentence, they're the objects of the sentence, not the subjects. We need to say "To Elena," "To Marcos," and "To Rodrigo and Felipe."

Added Emphasis

We can also use a and a prepositional pronoun where it would otherwise be unnecessary in order to emphasize whose opinion you're discussing:

Even though they are redundant, a ti is used together with te, and a mí is used with me, to put a stronger emphasis on the "you" and the "me."

Notes on Gustar

Gustar Questions

Normally to turn a sentence into a question we move the subject from the beginning of the sentence to the end. With gustar the subject is already at the end of the sentence, so all we need to do is add the question marks:

Gustar with Other Verbs

Simply pair gusta with an infinitive to say that you like doing something. No need to conjugate twice:

Gustar in Other Tenses

Gustar works the same way in other tenses (and moods):

Note: It's appropriate to say ¡Con mucho gusto! ("With much pleasure!") when meeting someone.

Liking People

Gustar is typically used to state that you like things, not that you like people. While it's not out of the question to say something like Me gustas tú ("You are pleasing to me") or Les gustamos ("We are pleasing to them"), those expressions can indicate physical attraction and should be used carefully. You're better off re-wording things or using the phrase caer bien:

Caer bien literally means "to fall well," but in this context would be more like "to leave a good impression." You can use caer mal to indicate dislike: Me cae mal Ronaldo.

Unless you're very narcissistic, you're going to want to avoid saying Me gusto.

Other Verbs Similar to Gustar

While we're on the subject of gustar, there are a number of other verbs which work similarly. The following verbs all take an indirect object pronoun and they usually come in front of the subject:

Some examples:

No me importan las razones.
I don't care about the reasons.
(The reasons aren't important to me.)

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Spanish sentences generally use the same order and sentence structure as English sentences. An example: Here both sentences start with a subject, move on to a verb, and finish off with an object. But this isn't always the case. Certain Spanish verbs basically work in reverse, which forces us to change the order of the sentence.

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I find this website very useful to learn Spanish verbs.

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Verbs like gustar in Spanish may seem complicated and confusing, but I can promise you there's an easy way to trick your brain into using this verb structure without errors!

Change How You Think

Language has a way of exposing our most basic assumptions about reality. When it comes to verbs like gustar, you'll notice a striking difference between the way native English and Spanish speakers interact with things in their world.

For example, in English:

"I like Spanish class."

In this sentence, I am the one doing the liking. It is "I" who is the subject, the doer, and the one performing the action. Meanwhile the "Spanish class" is the direct object; it is receiving my "like."

However, in Spanish:
Me gusta la clase de español.
In this sentence, I am the one receiving the pleasing experience of the Spanish class. As the receiver, I am now the indirect object; not the subject.

It is in fact the Spanish class that is the subject, the doer, and the one performing the action-translating roughly to "The Spanish class is pleasing to me."

Once you're done reading this article, you'll have no problem using verbs like gustar. Download this practice worksheet to test your new skills and see for yourself!

Download Your Free How to Use Verbs Like Gustar Worksheet!

Just type in your name and email and we will immediately send one practice worksheet about How to Use Verbs Like Gustar to your inbox!

Subjects and Objects: English vs Spanish

Let's see it explained in another way:
I like Spanish class.
Subject: I

Verb: like

Direct object: Spanish class

Indirect object: None
Me gusta la clase de español.
Subject: la clase de español

Direct object: None

Indirect object: me

(Scan this quick refresher on the indirect object pronouns in Spanish.)

Quick Grammar Lesson on Verbs Like Gustar

If you're not interested in the grammar lesson and just want to see the list of 29 verbs like gustar, click here.

As a Spanish learner, you're no stranger to the common phrase me gusta, but you may feel slightly unsure when you see me gustan (and no doubt you stop to wonder when you see te gusto, but we'll get to that later).

So, let's break it down.

The most common structure of verbs like gustar uses the verb in its third person form, whether singular or plural.

What Does 'Me Gusta' Mean?

As I mentioned, when you see the phrase me gusta, you are actually seeing "___ pleases me."

The subject is not directly visible in this stand-alone phrase and generally translates to "I like it."

Here are some examples that do have a clear subject:

Me gusta el logo de la empresa.I like the company's logo.
(Literal: The company's logo pleases me.)

Me gusta tu forma de ser.
I like the way you are (your personality).
(Literal: Your personality pleases me.)

Me gusta eso.I like that.
(Literal: That pleases me.)

What Does 'Me Gustan' Mean?

Now, think about it-what are you actually seeing when you read the phrase me gustan?

Did you say, "they please me"? If you did, you're right!

The sentence above literally means "The paintings in your house please me," and we translate it to "I like the paintings in your house."

Here are more examples:

Me gustan los perros pequeños.I like little dogs.
(Literal: Little dogs please me.)

Me gustan sus nuevas canciones.
I like his new songs.
(Literal: His new songs please me.)

Other Conjugations for Gustar

As we've seen, me gusta and me gustan are the most common sentence structures for verbs like gustar, but as your Spanish skills grow, you'll want to use these verbs in a variety of ways.

If you are still in the process of mastering the third-person conjugations of gustar that we covered above, then I highly recommend you stick to that before moving on to this next lesson!

But, if you're ready to move forward, let's do it.

What do you think it means if I say: .

Does it mean "I like you" or "You like me"?

Remember our original translation tool: "____ please(s) me."

In this case, we need to use the conjugation of the verb to figure out what the subject is.

Since it's gustas, we know the subject is tú.

In other words:

Similarly, let's look at: te gusto.

We can see the verb gusto means that yo te gusto, or "I please you." In other words, "you like me"!

Looks like you've got this one down. Now, let's cover more verbs like gustar.

Verbs Like Gustar: Hacer Falta

Before we jump into the long list of verbs like gustar below, let me introduce one to you here: hacer falta.

This means "to miss" or "to need."

Similar to gustar, hacer is conjugated exactly the same way with falta always following it.

What does me haces falta mean?

If falta is the verb, we know that tú is the subject.

Hacer falta is a little harder to translate in a way that helps you quickly understand its meaning, but it is a good exercise in understanding indirect objects-which we will explore now.

Understanding the Use of Indirect Objects with Verbs Like Gustar

Indirect objects in English require that a direct object exists, but Spanish does not have this requirement.

The indirect object answers the question "to whom?" or "for whom?", while the direct object answers the question "what?" or "who?"

For example, in English, you have a sentence like:
She sends me letters.
And we break it down into...

She = subject

Sends = verb

Me = indirect object

Letters = direct object

What does she send? She sends letters. (direct object)

To whom does she send letters? She sends letters to me. (indirect object)

With verbs like gustar in Spanish, the performing action is happening to me, to you, or to someone.

A + Personal Pronoun

In the introductory lesson above, we translated me gusta as "It pleases me," when in reality it is much closer to "It is pleasing to me" (which is why me is an indirect object).

This is why you can add (or " a + personal pronoun") to emphasize the meaning:

Similarly, while me hace falta means, "I miss it" or "I need it," it translates more closely to "It is lacking from me" (which we would obviously never say in English!).

Me hace falta a mí.I need it.

When you're confronted with the sentence le hace falta, you suddenly realize how ambiguous this can get!

How do others know who you're talking about when you say le hace falta?

Here's how:

By adding + pronoun, you use a prepositional phrase that specifically refers back to the indirect object.

Here are your other options:

12 Example Sentences

Let's explore some example sentences with two verbs we know well now: gustar and hacer falta. As you'll see, the prepositional phrase + pronoun can go at the beginning or end of the sentence.

Additionally, you can be even more specific by using + noun, instead of the personal pronouns:

21 Other Verbs Like Gustar

Now that you've mastered how to conjugate and use verbs like gustar, it's time to build your vocabulary with some more verbs that react similarly.

This is hardly an exhaustive list, but it's a great starting point for you to expand your expressive Spanish skills.

Here they are!

Example Sentences for Verbs like Gustar

¡Cómo me duele la muerte de mi bisabuelo!The death of my great-grandfather hurts me!

Le sobra lo que a ti te falta.He has plenty of what you lack.

8 More Verb Phrases Like Hacer Falta

As you continue to polish your skills with verbs like gustar, you'll start craving the use of common verb phrases that native Spanish speakers use.

To be clear, verb phrases contain more than one word and as a unit they act with new meaning (like hacer falta).

For example, the verb caer means "to fall," but the verb phrase caer bien means "to like" or "to agree with."

Now let's look at more.

1. Volver loco - to go mad, to drive crazy

2. Caer bien - to like, to agree with

3. Caer mal - to rub the wrong way

4. Quedar bien - to make a good impression, to look good

5. Quedar mal - to make a bad impression, to fit badly

6. Dar asco - to make feel sick, to disgust

7. Dar miedo - to scare

8. Hacer gracia - to be funny, to amuse

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Our teachers would love to work with you to master your use of verbs like gustar and prepare you for amazing and fun conversations in Spanish. Sign up for a free trial today to see for yourself how easy and effective our classes truly are!

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Ready to learn more Spanish grammar and vocabulary? Check these out!

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How to Use Verbs Like Gustar [+ 29 New Verbs & Phrases]

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Verbs like gustar in Spanish may seem complicated and confusing, but there's an easy way to trick your brain into using this verb structure without errors!

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This is a song that I'm using to learn the verb gustar. It has visual aids and the song is catchy andhelpful!

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I found this website that allows you to practice the singular and plural versions of gustar and other similar verbs as well. I also found another site as well that helps clear up details as well as give other verbs to use as well.
https://www.happyhourspanish.com/gustar-similar-verbs-know/

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Verbs Like Gustar: Quiz #1 - StudySpanish.com

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Learn Spanish grammar with our free helpful lessons and fun exercises at StudySpanish.com. Get started on your way to speaking Spanish conversationally!

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I found this lesson helpful to understand how to use "gustar" and other similar verbs. I also like how they have a full lesson, an "at a glance" tab and a presentation.

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Spanish sentences generally use the same order and sentence structure as English sentences. An example:

Here both sentences start with a subject, move on to a verb, and finish off with an object.
But this isn't always the case. Certain Spanish verbs basically work in reverse, which forces us to change the order of the sentence. Gustar is the most common of these verbs.

How to Use Gustar

How would you translate the following sentence?

If you look up "to like" in the dictionary, you'll probably be told to use gustar. This might prompt you to translate the sentence like this:

But that's not the correct translation even though gustar is the appropriate verb to use in this situation. While it's not wrong to say that gustar means "to like," it's not exactly true either. It's more accurate to say that gustar means "to be pleasing." Knowing that, you can see that you can't really translate "I like pizza" word for word. Instead you'll need to first change the sentence to something like this:

The meaning hasn't changed, but you're expressing it a different way. Notice that what used to be the object (pizza) is now the subject of the sentence, and what used to be the subject (I) is now an object (me).

Backward Verbs

So how do we translate "Pizza is pleasing to me"? Well, we still need to make another change before we can translate. Gustar is a member of a class of verbs sometimes called "backward verbs." Sentences that use these verbs have an abnormal sentence structure. Rather than appearing at the beginning of the sentence, the subject comes after the verb. Therefore the subject (the thing that is pleasing) comes at the end of the sentence, the form of gustar comes in front of that, and the sentence starts with an object pronoun (which refers to the person being pleased). So instead of "Pizza is pleasing to me" we should translate:

So how do we do that in Spanish? Follow this formula:

IOP (of person being pleased) + gustar + subject (thing that is pleasing)

What's an IOP? IOP stands for "indirect object pronoun." You'll learn more about IOPs later, but for right now refer to these charts:

Put it all together and here's what we get:

Here are some more examples:

Note: To say "I like it" simply omit the subject altogether: Me gusta.

Notice how the verb gusta doesn't change in any of the examples above. That's because the subject "pizza" doesn't change either.

What if you like more than one thing? Now we need to conjugate gustar differently. We need the plural form, gustan, since we now have a plural subject. Some examples:

Keep in mind that we're conjugating gustar to agree with the plural subjects at the end of the sentence ( tacos, galletas, huevos, and papas fritas). The objects ( me, te, nos, and les) don't affect our verb conjugation even though they're at the beginning of the sentence.

The vast majority of the time, you'll use either gusta (if one thing is liked) or gustan (for more than one thing). It's rare that you would need gustas or gustamos, and there are other, better ways of conveying that meaning. See Liking People below.

Note: Because they are not "countable" you should always use gusta with infinitives: Me gusta leer y escribir.

Using Gustar with More Than One Subject

Once you've learned about using plural subjects with gustar, you may encounter sentences that look like they contain a grammatical error, such as the following:

Me gusta el arte y la música.
I like art and music.

Art and music are two things, right? Shouldn't gusta (singular) really be gustan (plural)?

Not always. Things get a little messy when y is used in the subject. The official rule comes down to "countability." If your subjects are "countable" (tangible, concrete, specific), you should treat them as plural and use gustan:

Me gustan el vestido y la cartera.
I like the dress and the purse.

If your subjects are non-countable (abstract, indefinite), you should treat them as singular and use gusta:

Me gusta la tecnología y la moda.
I like technology and fashion.

Regardless of grammar, you're more likely to see and hear the singular gusta when the subject has an y in it, even if the subject is countable.

Ambiguity with Le and Les

If you use me, te, nos, or os as your indirect object pronoun, the meaning of the sentence should be clear. However, if you use le or les, it's not readily apparent whom you're talking about. For instance, how would you translate these sentences?

Le gustan los libros.
Le gustan las películas.
¿Les gustan las canciones?

The first sentence could be translated "He likes books," "She likes books," or even "You ( Ud.) like books." To clear up any confusion, Spanish speakers will often add some context to the sentence by adding a and a pronoun:

It may seem redundant to include both a él and le in the same sentence since they mean the same thing, but it happens regularly in Spanish. Even if we don't need to, we always use an indirect object pronoun with gustar.

In a similar way, if you need to include someone's name in the sentence, you'll start with a followed by their name, and you'll still use the indirect object pronoun:

Remember that the a is necessary because even though Elena, Marcos, Rodrigo and Felipe are at the beginning of the sentence, they're the objects of the sentence, not the subjects. We need to say "To Elena," "To Marcos," and "To Rodrigo and Felipe."

Added Emphasis

We can also use a and a prepositional pronoun where it would otherwise be unnecessary in order to emphasize whose opinion you're discussing:

Even though they are redundant, a ti is used together with te, and a mí is used with me, to put a stronger emphasis on the "you" and the "me."

Notes on Gustar

Gustar Questions

Normally to turn a sentence into a question we move the subject from the beginning of the sentence to the end. With gustar the subject is already at the end of the sentence, so all we need to do is add the question marks:

Gustar with Other Verbs

Simply pair gusta with an infinitive to say that you like doing something. No need to conjugate twice:

Gustar in Other Tenses

Gustar works the same way in other tenses (and moods):

Note: It's appropriate to say ¡Con mucho gusto! ("With much pleasure!") when meeting someone.

Liking People

Gustar is typically used to state that you like things, not that you like people. While it's not out of the question to say something like Me gustas tú ("You are pleasing to me") or Les gustamos ("We are pleasing to them"), those expressions can indicate physical attraction and should be used carefully. You're better off re-wording things or using the phrase caer bien:

Caer bien literally means "to fall well," but in this context would be more like "to leave a good impression." You can use caer mal to indicate dislike: Me cae mal Ronaldo.

Unless you're very narcissistic, you're going to want to avoid saying Me gusto.

Other Verbs Similar to Gustar

While we're on the subject of gustar, there are a number of other verbs which work similarly. The following verbs all take an indirect object pronoun and they usually come in front of the subject:

Some examples:

No me importan las razones.
I don't care about the reasons.
(The reasons aren't important to me.)

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Spanish sentences generally use the same order and sentence structure as English sentences. An example: Here both sentences start with a subject, move on to a verb, and finish off with an object. But this isn't always the case. Certain Spanish verbs basically work in reverse, which forces us to change the order of the sentence.

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I like this site because the information is quick and not complicated. Also the information is relevant to to what we are learning. It seems to be a one stop shop for some extra help.

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I think this site explains gustar well, and also gives good examples that are easy to understand.

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Gustar means to be pleasing to or to be liked. Please pay close attention when we explain further in the lesson, the variations that the verb will have according to the tense and person that speaks; also we will provide you with some great tips on how to avoid common mistakes when using Gustar. This free audio lesson is all about Gustar in Spanish!

Gustar is one of those Spanish words that convey shades of meaning that don't exist in English, it can't be translated literally into its equivalent English meaning. Although using Gustar is very common in the Latin world, its usage will seem strange to an English speaker.

For example, in English you would say:

In Spanish, however, what would have been the direct object in the English sentence (X) becomes the subject, while the person (I) becomes the indirect object.

Sound confusing? Perhaps the example below will help clarify things.

You will find Gustar used in the third person singular and plural forms almost exclusively, and it will always be accompanied by an indirect object pronoun.

Using GUSTAR in Spanish to Talk About What You Like

The verb Gustar is one of the most common verbs in Spanish, because it enables you to express what you like and don't like.

Por ejemplo:

Literally, the first example translates as, "*The Spanish food pleases me. " The second example literally translates as, " To get wet does not please me.*"

Obviously, it can be quite unhelpful if you feel as if you have to understand every expression in terms of its direct English translation. When you are learning a new language for the first time, you may feel as if you need to know exactly what each word means in English so that you can do the translation in your head. Languages don't work like that! If you are going to learn to speak a new language, you have to allow your mind to connect words and ideas in Spanish ways ... ways that may be untranslatable in English.

If you want to say that you like more than one thing-for example, that you like the cats, or the colors blue and green, you will use the third person plural form of gustar. For example,

Notice that, in the above examples, " las gatas" and " los colores azul y verde" are actually the subjects of the sentences. However, rather than coming first, they will nearly always come after the verb. If you are constructing a sentence using gustar, put the elements of the sentence in the following order:

indirect pronoun + conjugated verb + subject

You may wish to use the handy table below. Choose one pronoun from the first column and the correct form of gustar from one of the other two columns, depending on the tense and the quantity of what is being liked. (If what you like is a verb, like running or cooking, then use the singular form of gustar followed by the infinitive form of the verb.) Remember that the correct form of the verb does NOT follow from the pronoun, but rather from what is being liked. Pronoun**Present*Past (preterite)Me, te, le gustagustó Nos, os, les*gustangustaron

Por ejemplo:

Example #4 is a bit trickier than the other examples. If you use le or les (for he, she, formal you, or them), you'll need to clarify who the pronoun is referring to. For example, if you heard the following sentence:

How would you know who liked the chocolates? You would be able to guess that it is a male, a female, or you (formal singular), but the sentence would be much clearer if you heard it like this:

or

Common Errors with GUSTAR in Spanish

Mistake #1

DO NOT say "Me gusta corriendo.**" DO SAY "Me gusta correr.**"

In other words, do not say in Spanish, " I like running." Do say "*I like to run.*"

Rule: If you are talking about an activity you like, follow gustar with the infinitive form of the verb ("to run") rather than the present participle ("running").

Mistake #2

DO NOT say "A ellos les gustan acampar.**" DO SAY "A ellos les gusta acampar.**"

Rule: Make sure that the verb gustar reflects the quantity of what is being liked (" to camp " is a single thing"), not the quantity of the people doing the liking.

Mistake #3

DO NOT say "A mí me gustan piñas.**" DO SAY "A mí me gustan las piñas.**"

In other words, do not say in Spanish, "*I like pineapples. " Do say, " I like the pineapples,*" even when you are talking about pineapples in general.

Rule: If what you like is a noun, always include the correct form of " the."

Mistake #4

DO NOT say "Me gusta Jorge.**" DO SAY "Jorge me cae bien.**"

Rule: Avoid using gustar to talk about liking people. If you say " Me gusta Jorge," people will assume that you find Jorge attractive and would like to date him! If you just like Jorge as a friend, find some other way to express your affection towards him.

" Me cae bien" is a much more neutral phrase to express positive feelings towards an acquaintance or friend. Similarly, if you don't like someone, you can use the phrase, " Me cae mal," as in, " Jorge me cae mal."

Think about the following ... what would someone's intentions be if they came up to you and said, " Me gustas tú "?
(Answer: It would usually mean that they liked you-and I don't mean as friends!)
Don't stress about memorizing all of this! For now, just be familiar with the concepts behind Gustar. As you hear more Spanish being spoken, you'll start to pick up the nuances of meaning that are impossible to convey in a book. Language is an organic, living thing. Seek out conversation practice wherever you can!

Check out more Spanish Verbs for useful info!

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Gustar means to be pleasing to or to be liked. Please pay close attention when we explain further in the lesson, the variations that the verb will have according to the tense and person that speaks; also we will provide you with some great tips on how to avoid common mistakes when using Gustar.

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I found this website helpful and the information in sync with what we learned in class. I found it easy to follow and I appreciated that it was text I could read rather than a a/v lesson.
https://www.fluentu.com/blog/spanish/how-to-use-gustar/

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Spanish speakers like things with as much intensity as English speakers.

Only they express their likes... a bit differently.

See for yourselves:

Me gustan las películas de terror. (I like horror movies.)

Do you see any difference in the construction between the Spanish and English versions?

I will not spoil the surprise yet. Take a moment to analyze both sentences and reach your own conclusions.

Later on in this post, I will reveal the answer and all will become clear.

But do not read on yet! First, write down what you think the difference is and then keep reading the post normally.

I will wait.

...

Done?

We can now move onward and learn how to use the Spanish verb gustar in all its peculiar glory!

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere.Click here to get a copy. (Download)

On the Meaning of Gustar

If you look up the verb gustar in a dictionary, you will get translations such as "to like," "to taste," "to enjoy" and "to be pleasing," among others.

At first glance, you might not notice anything weird. You may assume that you are dealing with yet another normal, boring regular Spanish verb and start building sentences like these (the symbol * means the sentence is grammatically incorrect):

Yo gusto este libro.* (I like this book.)

Las chicas gustan mi perro.* (The girls like my dog.)

Mi hermano gusta la comida mexicana.* (My brother likes Mexican food.)

But as you can see, the normal way of building sentences (subject + verb + object) does not seem to work with this verb. Something must be wrong, and we need to find out what it is.

What we know already is that gustar means"to like" and that we have a grammatically correct sentence in the introduction. Let's take a closer look at it:

Me gustan las películas de terror. (I like horror movies.)

We have me, which must mean "me"in English. Then we have gustan (to like, third person plural). And finally, we have las películas de terror (horror movies, also plural). Does this mean it is the horror movies who do the liking? No, it does not. That would be impossible! But I think we are getting closer...

Let's do an experiment and scramble the words a little bit:
Las películas de terror me gustan.
Wow! The sentence does not have an asterisk, so it is still grammatically correct!

How can we translate the sentence so that it makes sense in English? We can try the four translations we got from the dictionary (to like, to taste, to enjoy and to be pleasing):

"Horror movies like me." (Nope...)

"Horror movies taste me." (Gosh, no!)

"Horror movies enjoy me." (Not there yet.)

"Horror movies please me." (Hmmm... I like this one!)

Let's make a few adjustments:

"Horror movies are pleasing to me." (You got it!)

It turns out the literal meaning of gustar is "to be pleasing"!

Now it is clear why the original sentence had a verb in the third person plural. Movies are pleasing to me!

Cool! Now you can understand exactly what Spanish-speaking people mean when they describe the things they like.

If you want to see this verb in action, you need to check FluentU.
You'll love the native content and the way you can learn Spanish while having fun. Give FluentU a free try and see for yourself!
But there is a bit more to this verb that you will have to learn before you can use it correctly. Let's find out more about how to use gustar!

Differences Between Spanish Gustar and English "to Like"

Using gustar changes the word order of the sentence.

Ok, so we know if we really want to have a literal translation of a Spanish sentence with gustar, the closest English version will say that something is pleasing to someone. But that is not the only difference we can observe between both sentences.

Allow me to give you another example:

Nos gustan los fuegos artificiales. (Fireworks are pleasing to us, or We like fireworks.)

Let's start by stating the obvious: the Spanish sentence seems to be backwards! If we translate the sentence as "Fireworks are pleasing to me," the Spanish version has the fireworks at the end, not at the beginning.

If fireworks are pleasing, it means they are the subject of the sentence. Indeed, los fuegos artificiales is the subject of the sentence. Why do they appear at the end of it?

The reason is that gustar is, as you may already have seen, a very weird Spanish verb...

The word order we are so used to (subject + verb + object) gets completely crazy when gustar is being used, turning the sentence into the following structure: object + verb + subject.

We could even put the subject in front and get subject + object + verb.

Gustar just loves to spice things up so that we do not get bored, I guess...

So while in English, "We like fireworks"keeps the SVO order, Spanish changes to OVS.

In a sense, these two constructions are quite similar, but different at the same time:

The subject "I" is equivalent to the object Me.

Both verbs remain in the second position.

The object "fireworks"is equivalent to the subject los fuegos artificiales.

So we are not that far, I may say.

The conjugation of gustar depends on the thing being liked.

Gustar triggers this weird behavior in the sentence, moving the subject to the end and bringing the object to the front.

From this, we can conclude there is another big difference between gustar and "to like": while in English, the verb is conjugated normally and refers to the person doing the liking (I like, you like, he likes...), in Spanish, the verb is conjugated according to the thing we like, which is the subject.

In case you got lost there, let me give you a couple of examples:

Me gusta el chocolate. (Chocolate is pleasing to me, or I like chocolate - el chocolate is a singular noun, so the verb is conjugated accordingly.)

Me gusta la pizza. (Pizza is pleasing to me, or I like pizza - la pizza is a singular noun, so the verb is singular. Keep in mind that verbs do not distinguish gender in Spanish, so it does not matter if the noun is masculine or feminine.)

Me gustan los libros. (Books are pleasing to me, or I like books - los libros is a plural noun, so the verb is conjugated accordingly.)

Me gustan las tormentas. (Thunderstorms are pleasing to me, or I like thunderstorms - las tormentas is a plural noun, so the verb is also plural.)

What does all this mean?

It means that unlike "to like," which is conjugated normally for every person, gustar will only have two possible forms (gusta, gustan), depending on whether the subject is singular or plural, respectively.

Way to complicate things, gustar!

Gustar requires an indirect object.

The final difference we can see between English and Spanish is the object of the sentences.

English needs a direct object (DO) after "to like" - a direct object answers the question "what?" or "who?":

"I like ice cream." (What do I like? Ice cream - DO.)

"We like romantic movies." (What do we like? Romantic movies - DO.)

Spanish, however, requires and indirect object (IO) - an indirect object answers the question "to what?" or "to whom?":

Me gusta el helado. (Ice cream is pleasing to me. To whom? To me - IO.)

Nos gustan las películas románticas. (Romantic movies are pleasing to us. To whom? To us - IO.)

The next section covers this more in depth.

Spanish Indirect Objects and Their Connection to Gustar

We already know the English "to like"requires a direct object while Spanish gustar needs an indirect one, but this should not worry you too much.

The only thing you really have to remember is that when using gustar, the indirect object comes first. You do not even have to take into account what you are liking or the conjugation of gustar! Just add the appropriate indirect object and forget about it.

They → (A ellos/ellas) Les

And you do not even have to include the words in parenthesis if you do not feel like it!

It is really not that difficult to remember to start your Spanish gustar sentences with the indirect object. It may take a little bit to get used to it, but once you have done it a couple of times, it will come out naturally.

Here are a couple of extra examples to get you started:

A María le gusta la tarta de manzana. (María likes apple pie.)

Me gusta Halloween. (I like Halloween.)

Nos gustan los deportes extremos. (We like extreme sports.)

Les gustan las películas italianas. (They like Italian movies.)

It is very important that you remember to transform the English subject into the indirect object of the Spanish sentence if you do not want to sound weird, as you will see in the next section.

At the beginning of this post, I told you that you are not allowed to conjugate the verb gustar as if it were a normal verb. This is not entirely true.

You can indeed conjugate it in every person. Have a look:
Nos gustamos
But as you can see, it takes the form of a reflexive verb. What does this imply?

Simply put, if you say me gusto you are saying you like yourself. That might make people think that you are a little bit conceited, no?

Spanish speakers are very aware of this and they generally do not use gustar as a reflexive verb unless they really need to, like in the following examples:

Si nos gustamos tanto, ¿por qué no estamos juntos? (If we like each other so much, why are we not together?)

Juan es muy creído. Se gusta demasiado. (Juan is very conceited. He likes himself too much.)

Me gusto más cuando estoy contigo. (I like myself better when I am with you.)

A lot of my students start their first attempt at using gustar with the words Me gusto...

After so many years teaching Spanish, I am very used to it because I know what they are trying to do is to copycat the structure of English. Thanks to this post, you now have all the necessary tools to avoid this mistake, which may sound cute the first time but can get you into trouble if it repeats over time.

Gustar can be a great help to express what you like and dislike. Learn how to use it correctly and your Spanish-speaking friends will be amazed!

Remember to always write the indirect object first. The rest is just a walk in the park.

Stay curious, my friends, and happy learning!

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere.Click here to get a copy. (Download)

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This Pleases Me: How to Use Gustar Correctly in Spanish

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Spanish speakers like things with as much intensity as English speakers. Only they express their likes... a bit differently. See for yourselves: Me gustan las películas de terror . (I like horror movies.) Do you see any difference in the construction between the Spanish and English versions?

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This is a nice video that is short but helpful to understand and use gustar.

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I have found many helpful resources at this site! It also allows you to participate in practice drills.

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Conjugate every Spanish verb in every tense for free on SpanishDictionary.com, the world's largest Spanish-English dictionary and reference website.

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This video honestly is not the most exciting way to learn. However, it is short and to the point and does a very good job explaining how to use Gustar in the present tense.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhXhBjffqDw

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25 Most Common Verbs has a free pdf download. Great resource material to begin learning Spanish.

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25 Most Common Verbs has a free pdf download. Great resource material to begin learning Spanish.

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I really liked this page because it explained how to use gustar and the grammar behind it, as well as addressing similar verbs in Spanish!

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The verb gustar is a tricky one for new Spanish learners because of its unique structure. If you can use it correctly, a whole new world will open up for you. We'll go over how to use it, how to conjugate it, and give examples of verbs that use a similar structure.

How to use the verb gustar

The verb gustar (and other related verbs: encantar, agobiar, doler, preocupar) has a different structure than most of the other Spanish verbs:

Me gusta el café. (I like coffee)
Me gustan las flores. (I like flowers)

The subject for these phrases is not yo, but the thing or things that are liked (coffee or flowers).

Look at some more examples:

Te gusta el color azul. (You like the colour blue).
Literally: The colour blue is pleasing to you.
te = indirect object
gusta = verb
el color azul = subject

A ella le gustan los gatos. (She likes cats)
Literally: Cats are pleasing to her.
A ella le = indirect object
gustan = verb
los gatos = subject

As you can see, using or depends on the word that follows the verb. Depending on what you like, you choose the singular - - or plural - gustan - form. can also be used in the infinitive form to talk about actions that we like. In this case, we will always use the singular form .

Le gusta cocinar. (He likes to cook.)
Nos gusta ir de vacaciones. (We like to go on vacation.)
Les gusta platicar por teléfono. (They like to chat on the phone.)

Now that you understand that whatever word follows the verb gustar is the subject, you can understand these examples better:

Me gustas (tú). (I like you)
Literally: You are pleasing to me.
me = indirect object
gustas = verb
tú = subject

In this sentence, the subject is tú, so we have to make an agreement between tú and the verb which is why the S is added. The tú is optional because of the special feature of Spanish that includes who we are talking about within the verb.

(A tus amigos) les gusto (yo). (Your friends like me.)
Literally: I am pleasing to your friends.
(a tus amigos) le = indirect object
gusto = verb
yo = subject

How to conjugate the verb gustar

We conjugate the verb in the third person singular or plural forms: and , determined by the thing (or things) that we like.

Verbs that have the same structure

caer bien/mal (to like/dislike someone)
Caigo mal a mi profe de castellano. (My Spanish teacher doesn't like me.)

We hope that these examples made it clear on how to use the verb gustar and other related verbs. Let us know if you have any questions or comments. If you want to learn Spanish in Barcelona, check out our classes in the heart of the city.

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The Spanish verb gustar: how to use it (and other related verbs)

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The verb gustar is a tricky one for new Spanish learners because of its unique structure. If you can use it correctly, a whole new world will open up for you. We'll go over how to use it, how to conjugate it, and give examples of verbs that use a similar structure.

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Thank you Jordon for teaching me how to say different fruits in singular and plural. Si mi gusta.

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https://www.spanishlearninglab.com/hobbies-likes-and-dislike-in-spanish/

This is a great resource because it has a really helpful table for using prepositional phrases and pronouns with gustar (and similar verbs). It also has a video if you learn better that way!

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https://www.speakeasybcn.com/en/blog/the-spanish-verb-gustar-how-to-use-it-and-other-related-verbs

This website was helpful to me when researching how to use gustar. It gaves specific singular and plural examples. It also has a conjugation table for reference, which makes it easier to use the correct conjugation in a sentence.

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This website was pretty helpful. It helps with conjugating gustar.
Gustar Conjugation (123teachme.com)

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I like the charts used in this video because they are helpful for memorization. I also liked the way she compares Spanish grammar to English so it's easy to understand.

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Learn Spanish Gustar and Verbs Like Gustar

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This website discusses the meanings and context for when you would use the term gustar and how it relates or sounds in English.

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Learn to use Spanish verbs like “gustar” (to like something) with this lesson, with instructions on how to remove ambiguity from your phrase.

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This Pleases Me: How to Use Gustar Correctly in Spanish (fluentu.com)
I liked how he walked through examples of direct translation so you could better see what you were saying.

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I like how clearly this website states how Gustar works and the comparison to how it might be directly translated to English. I also liked that it went over how Gustar  is usually referencing an indirect object, whereas English will often refer to the direct object in a sentence.

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What is the meaning of the Spanish verb gustar?

Verbs like gustar often provide difficulties to new learners and are famously difficult to get right. The most recognizable of these verbs is of course, gustar. This verb is often translated to "to like" but it literally means to be "pleasing to". When using the verb gustar and other verbs like it, the subject of the sentence is the thing being liked, while the thing doing the liking is expressed using the indirect object, which we talked about in a previous grammar blog.

Want to Learn Spanish Online?

As previously mentioned, the verb gustar requires the us of the IO, or the indirect object:

In English, the following sentences make sense and are written correctly:

Lets take a look at the two sentences more closely:
I like the car.

I = subject of the sentence

like = the verb

the car = the DO (direct object)

We like dogs.

We = the subject of the sentence

like = the verb

dogs = direct object

In English, it is correct to construct the sentence so that it depicts the subject doing the "liking" of the direct object. In Spanish, this is not the case. In Spanish, we use a different construction:

Notice how both the English and Spanish sentences are similar. They are just two different ways to express the same meaning.

One important thing to note is that in English, the subject of the sentence is the person (I, We). In Spanish, the subject of the sentence is the object (car, dogs)

Finally, it is important to notice that in English we use the direct object while in spanish we use the indirect object:

Let's analyze the following example: Me gustan los perros.

Literal translation: To me are pleasing the dogs.

Actual Translation: I like the dogs.

It is quite common for learners to confuse this topic when first learning it, and say "me gusto los libros" but, You will notice that the verb "gustar" is conjugated in the third person plural - gustan.

This is because the verb is conjugated according to the subject and in this case, the subject of the sentence is "the dogs". Remember, the conjugated verb always has to agree with the subject of the sentence.

If we change the subject of the sentence to be singular, then we use "gusta"

The indirect pronoun will change according to the person who is doing the liking

Remember that the IO pronoun is not the subject of the sentence:

Te gustás la manzana. - incorrecto

Nos gustamos las frutas. - incorrecto

Below are some more examples of the correct use of the verb gustar:

Let's take a look at the example "le gusta la naranja"

If you remember from our blogs about the direct object and indirect object, it is impossible to tell the exact meaning of this sentence without context. It could mean:

He likes the orange.

She likes the orange.

You (usted) the orange.

In order to avoid confusion, we often use prepositional phrases to clarify who the IO pronoun le refers to:

A él le gusta la naranja.

He likes the orange.

A Agustín le gusta la naranja.

Agustin likes the orange.

A ella le gusta la naranja.

She likes the orange.

A Sara le gusta la naranja.

Sara likes the orange.

A usted le gusta la naranja.

You (formal) like the orange.

Using the prepositional phrase allows us to remove the ambiguity of the sentence.

And now with les:

A ustedes les gusta la canción.

You guys like the song.

A ellos les gusta la canción.

They like the song.

A ellas les gusta la canción.

They like the song.

Using the prepositional phrase allows us to remove the ambiguity of the sentence.

A prepositional phrase can also be used when there is no ambiguity in the sentence. It is used to add emphasis:

A Marianela le gusta el helado.

A mí no me gusta el helado.

In the first example, "a Marianela" clarifies the ambiguous pronoun "le" where as in the second sentence "a mí" is used to add emphasis. It is emphasizing that I do not like ice cream in comparison to Marianela who does.

Now that you know how to correctly use the verb "gustar", below is a list of other common verbs that function in the same way:

interesar (to interest)

aburrir (to bore)

fascinar (to fascinate)

importar (to matter/be important)

dar asco (to be gross out)

bastar (to be sufficient)

picar (to itch)

parecer (to appear to be)

quedar (to be leftover/remain)

doler (to be painful)

Volver loco (to drive crazy)

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Gustar Verbs | Your 101 Guide to the Verb Gustar in Spanish

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Verbs like gustar often provide difficulties to new learners and are famously difficult to get right. The most recognizable of these verbs is of course, gustar. This verb is often translated to "to like" but it literally means to be pleasing to.

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I use SpanishDict a lot for help on how the language works. It provides a lot of good, accurate information with descriptions and examples of words or phrases used in Spanish. This link takes you to a page that summarizes how gustar is used and lists some other verbs that follow a similar structure in a sentence.

https://www.spanishdict.com/guide/verbs-like-gustar

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Me gusta this video because it uses the different forms of gustar and compares it to other words and show how it works differently.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ux7SeKCmYkE&ab_channel=TheSpanishDude

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This had some helpful tips on Gustar

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01062 Spanish Lesson - Present Tense - Gustar (all forms) + activities

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https://www.spanish411.net/Spanish-Using-Gustar.asp
This seemed like a really user friendly website when it comes to trying to figure out how to use the verb gustar. It also seemed to go over some other verbs as well.

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I found many of these video helpful. I really liked this one particularly. simple with good
examples.

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Verbs that work like GUSTAR (me gusta - te gusta)

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A quick explanation of the verb gustar and other similiar verbs. If you need a more advanced video which explains all of the boxes of GUSTAR, check out the following: http://youtu.be/4fitICu2a1A

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I found this website helpful for learning gustar and the different forms because it has plenty of examples and it also has examples of other words like fascinar, importar, and interesar.
https://studyspanish.com/grammar/lessons/gustar

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This website not only teaches you about "gustar" it also gives you multiple examples, images, flashcards, and other exercise. Having these exercises is really helpful when learning/practicing outside of the class.

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Gustar means to be pleasing to or to be liked. Please pay close attention when we explain further in the lesson, the variations that the verb will have according to the tense and person that speaks; also we will provide you with some great tips on how to avoid common mistakes when using Gustar. This free audio lesson is all about Gustar in Spanish!

Gustar is one of those Spanish words that convey shades of meaning that don't exist in English, it can't be translated literally into its equivalent English meaning. Although using Gustar is very common in the Latin world, its usage will seem strange to an English speaker.

For example, in English you would say:

In Spanish, however, what would have been the direct object in the English sentence (X) becomes the subject, while the person (I) becomes the indirect object.

Sound confusing? Perhaps the example below will help clarify things.

You will find Gustar used in the third person singular and plural forms almost exclusively, and it will always be accompanied by an indirect object pronoun.

Using GUSTAR in Spanish to Talk About What You Like

The verb Gustar is one of the most common verbs in Spanish, because it enables you to express what you like and don't like.

Por ejemplo:

Literally, the first example translates as, "*The Spanish food pleases me. " The second example literally translates as, " To get wet does not please me.*"

Obviously, it can be quite unhelpful if you feel as if you have to understand every expression in terms of its direct English translation. When you are learning a new language for the first time, you may feel as if you need to know exactly what each word means in English so that you can do the translation in your head. Languages don't work like that! If you are going to learn to speak a new language, you have to allow your mind to connect words and ideas in Spanish ways ... ways that may be untranslatable in English.

If you want to say that you like more than one thing-for example, that you like the cats, or the colors blue and green, you will use the third person plural form of gustar. For example,

Notice that, in the above examples, " las gatas" and " los colores azul y verde" are actually the subjects of the sentences. However, rather than coming first, they will nearly always come after the verb. If you are constructing a sentence using gustar, put the elements of the sentence in the following order:

indirect pronoun + conjugated verb + subject

You may wish to use the handy table below. Choose one pronoun from the first column and the correct form of gustar from one of the other two columns, depending on the tense and the quantity of what is being liked. (If what you like is a verb, like running or cooking, then use the singular form of gustar followed by the infinitive form of the verb.) Remember that the correct form of the verb does NOT follow from the pronoun, but rather from what is being liked. Pronoun**Present*Past (preterite)Me, te, le gustagustó Nos, os, les*gustangustaron

Por ejemplo:

Example #4 is a bit trickier than the other examples. If you use le or les (for he, she, formal you, or them), you'll need to clarify who the pronoun is referring to. For example, if you heard the following sentence:

How would you know who liked the chocolates? You would be able to guess that it is a male, a female, or you (formal singular), but the sentence would be much clearer if you heard it like this:

or

Common Errors with GUSTAR in Spanish

Mistake #1

DO NOT say "Me gusta corriendo.**" DO SAY "Me gusta correr.**"

In other words, do not say in Spanish, " I like running." Do say "*I like to run.*"

Rule: If you are talking about an activity you like, follow gustar with the infinitive form of the verb ("to run") rather than the present participle ("running").

Mistake #2

DO NOT say "A ellos les gustan acampar.**" DO SAY "A ellos les gusta acampar.**"

Rule: Make sure that the verb gustar reflects the quantity of what is being liked (" to camp " is a single thing"), not the quantity of the people doing the liking.

Mistake #3

DO NOT say "A mí me gustan piñas.**" DO SAY "A mí me gustan las piñas.**"

In other words, do not say in Spanish, "*I like pineapples. " Do say, " I like the pineapples,*" even when you are talking about pineapples in general.

Rule: If what you like is a noun, always include the correct form of " the."

Mistake #4

DO NOT say "Me gusta Jorge.**" DO SAY "Jorge me cae bien.**"

Rule: Avoid using gustar to talk about liking people. If you say " Me gusta Jorge," people will assume that you find Jorge attractive and would like to date him! If you just like Jorge as a friend, find some other way to express your affection towards him.

" Me cae bien" is a much more neutral phrase to express positive feelings towards an acquaintance or friend. Similarly, if you don't like someone, you can use the phrase, " Me cae mal," as in, " Jorge me cae mal."

Think about the following ... what would someone's intentions be if they came up to you and said, " Me gustas tú "?
(Answer: It would usually mean that they liked you-and I don't mean as friends!)
Don't stress about memorizing all of this! For now, just be familiar with the concepts behind Gustar. As you hear more Spanish being spoken, you'll start to pick up the nuances of meaning that are impossible to convey in a book. Language is an organic, living thing. Seek out conversation practice wherever you can!

Check out more Spanish Verbs for useful info!

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Gustar means to be pleasing to or to be liked. Please pay close attention when we explain further in the lesson, the variations that the verb will have according to the tense and person that speaks; also we will provide you with some great tips on how to avoid common mistakes when using Gustar.

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I really like this catchy video geared for young Spanish learners. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfHm-AKCoVY . Though the song is a little annoying, the familiar English song with subtitles really seems to help learn the forms of Gustar.

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This article lesson is a very helpful resource for people learning Spanish for the first time. I thought it was useful how the author specifically pointed out the subject, verb, and direct object.
https://www.speakeasybcn.com/en/blog/the-spanish-verb-gustar-how-to-use-it-and-other-related-verbs

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xipDxeM_3R8
I like this video because it is shorter but still gives lots of information

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I like this website as it explains how gustar works but then walks through 25 other verbs that work in the same way.  https://www.realfastspanish.com/vocabulary/verbs-like-gustar   It was interesting to me that they identified these 25 by doing a study of the most frequently occurring, so these 25 should be the most useful
.

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Liked reading up on how to think about why Gustar functions differently than other verbs... " its been explained to me is that in using the verb Gustar a sort of role reversal occurs in the sentence when translating from English to Spanish and vice versa, as a result of gustar translating not into "to like", but more accurately into "to please""
https://www.spanishdict.com/answers/293134/why-does-gustar-use-indirect-object-pronouns-instead-of-direct-object-pronouns

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This video is helpful I think with memorization. It helps you remember different forms of gustar and how to use them in a entertaining way through music.

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This video was extremely helpful and basic! I suggest watching it twice to take in all of the info but it was great!

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How to use the verb Gustar and talk about your likes, dislikes, and preferences || Lección 14

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I liked this video because it showed how to use gustar correctly, as well as other words with similar conjugations. It gave lots of examples to help comprehend.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9DYUXfhyjg

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0K6Yg9lFK8

Jordan's videos always simplify the lesson. He also puts the words on the screen that he is speaking which I find beneficial when repeating them and trying to learn them.

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Butterfly Spanish is my favorite person to follow. She is thorough and breaks it all down in English. She is also laid back.https://youtu.be/BQOPSJ67fbQ

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I thought this song was so clever. It's a fun way to remember how to use me, te, le, nos for gustar and similar verbs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmP7vJWr4sQ

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This site is really helpful because it gives side by side examples of both the English and Spanish translations of the same sentence.

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Learn to use Spanish verbs like “gustar” (to like something) with this lesson, with instructions on how to remove ambiguity from your phrase.

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https://studyspanish.com/grammar/lessons/gustar
I really like this page because it not only helps you know the difference between gustar and similar verbs, but it also uses them in a sentence and explains them. They use different forms of the verb to help show sentences with different subjects. This is really useful if you're having any difficulties!

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This website is awesome because it provides you with many different examples of how to use gustar and many other verbs that are similar.

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How to Use Gustar (Plus 8 Other Verbs Like It)

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Spanish is the second-most widely spoken language in the world, following right after Mandarin. There are even more Spanish speakers than there are native English speakers. You can't go wrong learning to speak Spanish. Learning important verbs like gustar is one of the best ways to broaden your vocabulary.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQOPSJ67fbQ

I enjoy the classroom setting and how the instructor keeps it easy to understand.

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I really liked the video "Gustar: How Gustar is used with Nouns in Spanish Grammar" it is simple and gave good examples that help me learn the use of Gustar faster.

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as I could record myself and then listen to it back to compare to the instructor's pronunciation

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Verbs like Gustar

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I like this site because it gives you a simple lesson on the verb gustar and other similar verbs such as disgustar (to dislike) and parecer (to seem), and then it provides multiple quizzes that you can take to test your knowledge of what you just learned.

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Verbs Like Gustar: Quiz #1 - StudySpanish.com

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Learn Spanish grammar with our free helpful lessons and fun exercises at StudySpanish.com. Get started on your way to speaking Spanish conversationally!

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This site was the most helpful to me. It explains how to use gustar in such a simple and easy way for me to understand. It also provides examples on how to use gustar and other verbs that are similar

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Spanish Grammar Rules

Gustar is a verb that confuses many English speakers at the beginning. Gustar is used to say like in Spanish. But unfortunately the conjugation rules (the way you change the verb) are a little different from normal verbs.

In English you would say I LIKE but in Spanish you would NOT say yo gusto (incorrect).

In Spanish you would say ME GUSTA or ME GUSTAN.

Me gusta la playa (I like the beach)

Me gusta el perro (I like the dog)

Me gustan los perros (I like dogs)

Me gusta cantar (I like to sing)

Why is this? Because instead of directly meaning like, it actually means that something is pleasing for you.

When do you use Gusta or Gustan?

Knowing whether to use Gusta or Gustan depends on the words that come after it (the things that you like).

If you want to say that you like doing something, then you use Gusta + Infinitive (verb)

A mí me gusta bailar (= I like to dance)

A nosotros nos gusta cocinar (= We like to cook)

A ellos les gusta ir al cine (= They like to go to the movies/cinema)

BUT when we talk about liking things, then we use GUSTA if that thing is in singular form

A mí me gusta el fútbol (= I like football/soccer)

A nosotros nos gusta la película (= We like the movie)

A ellos les gusta la canción (= They like the song)

We use GUSTAN if we like something that is in plural form

A mí me gustan los libros (= I like books)

A nosotros nos gustan las películas de terror (= We like horror movies)

A ellos les gustan las canciones (= They like the songs)

A mí, A tí, A él...

You will notice that many times we have the prepositional phrase A + mí (or tí etc.) before the me gusta (o te gusta etc.). This is sometimes used to give more emphasis about the person who is liking the thing but also to clarify when they may be a doubt about who that person is.

For example if we say Le gusta comer, we don't know if the person who likes to eat is a man, a woman or even you. So to clarify we had the prepositional phrase A + él (or ella, usted). Compare the difference:

Negative Sentences using GUSTAR

Making a negative sentence with the verb gustar is simple. You just add NO between the prepositional phrase A + mí (or tí etc.) and the Indirect Object Pronoun (me, te, le etc.)

Affirmative: A mí me gustan los gatos. (= I like cats)

Negative: A mí no me gustan los gatos. (= I don't like cats)

Affirmative: A ella le gusta cantar. (= She likes to sing)

Negative: A ella no le gusta cantar. (= She doesn't like to sing)

Gustar Summary chart

Other verbs like Gustar

There are other verbs that use the same formula as Gustar. These include the verbs: doler, encantar, faltar, interesar, molestar, quedar (and others)

Me duelen los pies. (= My feet are sore)

A ella le encanta dormir hasta tarde (She likes sleeping until late)

Nos faltan tres cajas (= We are missing three boxes)

¿Te interesan los libros? (= Are you interested in books?)

Next Activities

Try our interactive game about Gusta vs Gustan and Indirecto Object Pronoun + Gustar

Spanish Teachers and Parents

If you found this grammar guide about the Spanish Verb GUSTAR interesting or useful, let others know about it:

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Gustar is a verb that confuses many English speakers at the beginning. Gustar is used to say like in Spanish. But unfortunately the conjugation rules (the way you change the verb) are a little different from normal verbs. In English you would say I LIKE but in Spanish you would NOT say yo gusto (incorrect).

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I like this website because it helps explain why the object is the subject of the sentence. It reframes gusta as "is pleasing" instead of "like".
https://studyspanish.com/grammar/lessons/gustar

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I liked this children's YouTube video. I also liked the simple conjugation on this page https://www.rypeapp.com/learn-spanish/conjugation/gustar/

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Super Simple Español - Canciones Infantiles Y Más

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¿Te Gusta El Helado De Brócoli? | Canciones Infantiles | Super Simple Español

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Found this website and on top of teaching you the basics of the word gustar it also lists 25 verbs that are grammatically similar

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Did you know that gustar is not the most common 'verb like gustar'?

Before I tell you what the most common verb in this category is, I'll explain the question a little further and how I discovered the answer.

Spanish verbs can be grouped into 3 basic structures: normal, reflexive and 'verbs like gustar '.

It seems a shame that this third category doesn't have a better name. But, nonetheless, this verb structure is extremely useful and will be the focus of the rest of the post.
As an aside, this verb category likely gets its English name due to 'gustar' being the most commonly used verb to introduce this topic in Spanish classrooms.
So how do 'verbs like gustar ' work?

Printable Version: Download this PDF version of the most common verbs like gustar to use as a study reference.

How to form 'verbs like gustar'

At first look, the structure of these verbs appears strange but we actually have this sentence structure in English.

Two examples in English would be:

It occurred to me...

The idea seems strange to me...

In Spanish the structure is no different. All you have to do is mentally switch the action of the verb onto yourself (or whoever is receiving the action of the verb).

A few examples with gustar:
English: I like the movie.
English: I don't like cheese.
Literal translation: To me cheese is not pleasing.
Español: No me gusta el queso. Literal translation: The movie is pleasing to me (or more specifically 'to me the movie is pleasing').
Español: Me gusta la película.
If you want to apply these verbs to someone other than yourself, you need to use one of the following 'indirect object pronouns':

Here are a few examples with these indirect objects pronouns in action:

For more details on how to use this verb structure refer back to the podcast on 'How To Use Verbs Like Gustar To Express Your Ideas'. In that episode I go into a lot more depth on how to use these types of verbs.

The importance of high frequency

One of the guiding principles of Real Fast Spanish is that you should learn high frequency words ahead of low frequency words. That's not to say you should ignore low frequency words altogether but what you should do is make a strategic effort to learn high frequency words deliberately.

Moreover, this principle is used as a filter for decision making. It means that when you are first starting out there are hundreds of words you could learn but you can reduce the mental load and increase your ability to communicate more effectively by focusing on the most useful words first.

The reason that this idea is so important is because it speeds up the rate of reaching a conversational level of Spanish.

In this post, I'm going to continue with this guiding principle and provide the most frequently occurring verbs that behave like gustar.

How I determined the most common verbs like gustar

While researching this post I looked high and low to see if a ranking of 'verbs like gustar' had already been done somewhere on the internet.

I looked to the search engines, I looked to frequency studies I have used in the past, I looked in forums and I looked in a few books on the subject of Spanish word frequency.

In the end, I couldn't find what I was looking for.

One of the biggest problems with frequency studies is that often they don't take conjugation into consideration.

For example, in a typical frequency study the words quiero and queries count as two occurrences of the verb querer as opposed to one occurrence for two separate words. This approach makes it difficult to figure out the order of frequency for a specific verb structure such as the subject of this post.
As a matter of interest, the highest occurring 3-gram in English is 'I don't' or 'I do not'. In the data they still counted the contraction of 'do' and 'not' as two sequential words.
So what I decided to do was go about finding the most common 'verbs like gustar' by reviewing the data with the help of a person who has dedicated a career to data analysis- mi novia.

We used a set of data known as ' n-grams ' for the Spanish language.

Put simply, an 'n-gram' is a sequence of 'n' words in any given language. For example, the phrase or sequence of words 'I love you' is a 3-gram in English. And this 3-gram 'I love you' occurs more often than the 3-gram 'I love baskets' or a more random 3-gram 'red high curve'.

Said in another way, the study of 'n-grams' is the study of the occurrence of sequences of words as opposed to individual words on their own.

The next step in determining the frequency of 'verbs like gustar' was to look for 2-grams in Spanish with an indirect object pronoun ( me, te, le, nos etc.) in secession with a verb in the present 3rd person singular or 3rd person plural conjugations.

We then had to remove 2-grams such as ' me dice' which means ' he says to me' because it doesn't follow the structure we are looking for: ' it ___ to me'. Once we removed these 2-grams, we were left with the set of verbs we were looking for.

We later reviewed the data for past imperfect and past simple conjugations to make sure the list doesn't change drastically for different verb tenses.

The results: the most commonly occurring verbs like gustar

The results of the data analysis showed the most commonly occurring 'verbs like gustar' in Spanish in order are:

A few notes on the results:

Parecer is actually the most common 'verb like gustar' if you only use the data for the present tense.

Dar is the most common when you include past conjugations.

1. Dar - to give
So in the next section I will give a few examples to reflect the occurrence of these tenses.
2. Gustar - to like 3. Hacer - to do
How to use these verbs in a Spanish sentence
4. Parecer - to seem 5. Ir - to go 6. Permitir - to permit / allow 7. Interesar - to interest English: It doesn't interest me to go to the beach today.
8. Quedar - to remain Español: No me interesa ir a la playa hoy. 9. Pasar - to pass
This section is the most important part of this post because it's where you put all of the above information into action.
10. Llamar - to call English: What catches your attention in this book?
11. Ocurrir - to occur Español: ¿Qué te llama la atención de este libro? 12. Importar - to be important 13. Dejar - to leave English: This story leaves me with some questions.
14. Llevar - to take Español: Esta historia me deja con algunas preguntas. 15. Poner - to put
Choose a number of these examples and work through them for yourself. Create your own sentences then try them out in your next Spanish conversation.
16. Faltar - to be missing 17. Tocar - to touch 18. Costar - to cost English: What costs you the most to learn Spanish?.19. Venir - to come 20. Encantar - to love Español: ¿Qué es lo que te cuesta más aprender del español? 21. Ofrecer - to offer English: This weekend offers me an opportunity to relax. 22. Servir - to serve 23. Llegar - to arrive English: If a difficult time comes, remember your dream. 24. Resultar - to result English: I still find it difficult to believe his story. 25. Preocupar - to worry
Español: Todavía me resulta difícil creer su historia.
Español: Si te llega un momento difícil, recuerda tu sueño.
Español: E ste fin de semana me ofrece la oportunidad de relajarme.
You can learn about other uses of the Spanish verb dar here.

Learn about other uses of the Spanish verb hacer here.

Learn about other uses of the Spanish verb quedar here.

Learn about other uses of the Spanish verb pasar here.

Ocurrir and pasar are almost completely interchangeable when they are used in this structure. The only difference is that ocurrir is slightly more formal.

Learn about other uses of the Spanish verb llevar here.

Learn about other uses of the Spanish verb poner here.

When you love something or someone in a non-romantic way use this verb.

Verbs like gustar - Practice quiz

To test your knowledge of everything you have read above about verbs like gustar, I have written a practice quiz.

The quiz will help you practice constructions and conjugations with the verbs from the top 25 list.

You can access practice quiz by clicking on the image on the right, or this link:

Practice quiz: Click here to test your knowledge of 'Verbs Like Gustar'.

Summary

'Verbs like gustar' is a great topic to focus your Spanish studies on. And with this post, you now have list of verbs that are essential to know, practice and use.

The best thing about this verb structure is you only have to know the conjugations for the 3rd person singular and the 3rd person plural.

My challenge to you is:

1. Choose five verbs from the list that you haven't used or seen yet.

2. Learn the present, past imperfect and past simple conjugations in the 3rd person for these verbs.

3. Use them as often as you can for the next two weeks.

Once you have these verbs covered, come back and choose another five and go again. ¡ Te viene bien saber estos verbos muy bien!

What sentences can you create using 'verbs like '?

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Did you know that gustar is not the most common 'verb like gustar'? Before I tell you what the most common verb in this category is, I'll explain the question a little further and how I discovered the answer. Spanish verbs can be grouped into 3 basic structures: normal, reflexive and 'verbs like gustar '.

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This article was straight to the point. It explained gustar in an easy to understand format and had a few words I hadn't seen before. https://www.happyhourspanish.com/gustar-similar-verbs-know/

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ux7SeKCmYkE

I like this video on Gustar because he understood why it is so confusing for English speakers. It doesn't translate to Spanish easily like other verbs. I also liked how he went through each conjugation with the indirect object of Gustar. And he discussed how the translation and conjugation of Gustar is like other Spanish verbs such as Encantar.

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Here is a quick and easy guide to help understand when and how to use gustar.
https://forum.duolingo.com/comment/24256505/Beginners%E2%80%99-guide-to-GUSTAR

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I like that he uses humor and addresses our concerns being native English speakers. He doesn't assume you already know anything but admits pitfalls as well. Great channel and really helpful!

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This week's Spanish Quickie is a bit different. You'll still learn some vocab and grammar--it's just a little more theoretical than normal. In order to understand why "me gusta" is so weird (it's how you say "I like"--not "gusto") -- you first have to understand how the dictionary works.

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Sue Middleton... I found this site very helpful in explaining both sentence structure and subject differences between English and Spanish . It points out common errors in subject. 

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Sue Middleton... I found this site very helpful in explaining both sentence structure and subject differences between English and Spanish . It points out common errors in subject. 

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https://studyspanish.com/grammar/lessons/gustar

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I actually really like the way this teacher has you practice by answering you questions and having you answer based on your preferences. I think it helps stick in your head better that way.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XA8A0y3HGFA

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Good, thorough explanation and examples.

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Good, thorough explanation and examples.

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How to use the verb Gustar and talk about your likes, dislikes, and preferences || Lección 14

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I found this site useful. It contains information from the Royal Academy of Spanish (which sounds really formal), which was very useful.

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Not all the rules of Spanish are straightforward or logical, and when it comes to the use of number-verb agreement with , the rules aren't always followed. More generally, the rules of number agreement are applied inconsistently when more than one subject follows the main verb of a sentence.

For a simple example of a sentence where this issue comes up, look at this sentence with two singular subjects:

Me gusta la hamburguesa y el queso. (I like hamburger and cheese.)

You could defend either choice in a sentence like that. Using gustan would certainly seem logical, and it is indeed said that way sometimes. But it is far more common to use the singular, gusta. It's kind of like shortening " me gusta la hamburguesa y me gusta el queso" by leaving out the second " me gusta," just as in English we might shorten "the happy children and happy adults" to "the happy children and adults." Why say " me gusta" twice if once gets the message across?

According to the Royal Spanish Academy, the singular verb should be used in a sentence like this when the two things you're talking about are uncountable or abstract and they follow the verb (as is usually the case with gustar). Here's an example the Academy gives: Me gusta el mambo y el merengue. Note how the two subjects are uncountable (they are both types of music or dance). Here are some other sentences that follow this pattern:

Es una red social de gente que le gusta el deporte y el ejercicio. (It's a social network of people who like sports and exercise.)

Me encanta el manga y el anime. (I love manga and anime.)

Me gusta la música y bailar. (I like music and dancing.)

Al presidente le falta el coraje y la voluntad política para resolver los problemas de nuestro país. (The president lacks the courage and political will to resolve the problems of our country.)

Si te gusta el cine y la tele, querrás pasar tiempo en California. (If you like movies and TV, you will want to spend time in California.)

But the Academy would pluralize the verb if the objects are countable. One of the Academy's examples: En el patio crecían un magnolio y una azalea. A magnolia and an azalea grew in the courtyard.

Other examples of the Academy's preference:

A ella le encantan la casa y el parque. (She loves the house and the park.)

Nos bastan el ratón y el teclado. (The mouse and the keyboard were enough for us.)

Me gustan ese camisa y ese bolso. (I like that shirt and that purse.)

In real life, however, the singular verb (when it precedes two subjects) is used much more often than the Academy would suggest. In everyday speech, even when verbs such as gustar have two countable subjects, the singular verb is usually used. In the following examples, both sentences might be said by native speakers, but the first is more commonly heard even though the second one is grammatically preferable to the Academy:

Me duele la cabeza y el estómago. Me duelen la cabeza y el estómago. (I have a headache and stomachache.)

Me gusta mi cama y mi almohada. Me gustan mi cama y mi almohada. (I like my bed and my pillow.)

A Raúl le gustaba el taco y el helado. A Raúl le gustaban el taco y el helado. (Raúl liked the taco and the ice cream.)

As to the original example, if by hamburguesa the speaker means ground beef, both of the subjects would be uncountable and the Academy would prefer use of the singular verb, gusta. If the speaker referring to a type of sandwich, or a specific sandwich, which is countable, the Academy would prefer use the plural, gustan. In real life, however, you're likely to not get flak regardless of which version you use.

When gustar is preceded two or more singular subjects, native Spanish speakers frequently use the singular form of the verb.

The Royal Spanish Academy approves use of the singular verb form when the subjects are abstract or uncountable.

Other verbs such as doler and encantar can be used in the same way as gustar.

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How 2 Subjects in Spanish Can Take a Singular Verb

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Not all the rules of Spanish are straightforward or logical, and when it comes to the use of number-verb agreement with , the rules aren't always followed. More generally, the rules of number agreement are applied inconsistently when more than one subject follows the main verb of a sentence.

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I really like this page. It gives relevant examples of the many ways to use "gustar". It's written in a way that holds my interest, where a lot of "informative" sites can be boring. I hope it helps you!

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Spanish sentences generally use the same order and sentence structure as English sentences. An example:

Here both sentences start with a subject, move on to a verb, and finish off with an object.
But this isn't always the case. Certain Spanish verbs basically work in reverse, which forces us to change the order of the sentence. Gustar is the most common of these verbs.

How to Use Gustar

How would you translate the following sentence?

If you look up "to like" in the dictionary, you'll probably be told to use gustar. This might prompt you to translate the sentence like this:

But that's not the correct translation even though gustar is the appropriate verb to use in this situation. While it's not wrong to say that gustar means "to like," it's not exactly true either. It's more accurate to say that gustar means "to be pleasing." Knowing that, you can see that you can't really translate "I like pizza" word for word. Instead you'll need to first change the sentence to something like this:

The meaning hasn't changed, but you're expressing it a different way. Notice that what used to be the object (pizza) is now the subject of the sentence, and what used to be the subject (I) is now an object (me).

Backward Verbs

So how do we translate "Pizza is pleasing to me"? Well, we still need to make another change before we can translate. Gustar is a member of a class of verbs sometimes called "backward verbs." Sentences that use these verbs have an abnormal sentence structure. Rather than appearing at the beginning of the sentence, the subject comes after the verb. Therefore the subject (the thing that is pleasing) comes at the end of the sentence, the form of gustar comes in front of that, and the sentence starts with an object pronoun (which refers to the person being pleased). So instead of "Pizza is pleasing to me" we should translate:

So how do we do that in Spanish? Follow this formula:

IOP (of person being pleased) + gustar + subject (thing that is pleasing)

What's an IOP? IOP stands for "indirect object pronoun." You'll learn more about IOPs later, but for right now refer to these charts:

Put it all together and here's what we get:

Here are some more examples:

Note: To say "I like it" simply omit the subject altogether: Me gusta.

Notice how the verb gusta doesn't change in any of the examples above. That's because the subject "pizza" doesn't change either.

What if you like more than one thing? Now we need to conjugate gustar differently. We need the plural form, gustan, since we now have a plural subject. Some examples:

Keep in mind that we're conjugating gustar to agree with the plural subjects at the end of the sentence ( tacos, galletas, huevos, and papas fritas). The objects ( me, te, nos, and les) don't affect our verb conjugation even though they're at the beginning of the sentence.

The vast majority of the time, you'll use either gusta (if one thing is liked) or gustan (for more than one thing). It's rare that you would need gustas or gustamos, and there are other, better ways of conveying that meaning. See Liking People below.

Note: Because they are not "countable" you should always use gusta with infinitives: Me gusta leer y escribir.

Using Gustar with More Than One Subject

Once you've learned about using plural subjects with gustar, you may encounter sentences that look like they contain a grammatical error, such as the following:

Me gusta el arte y la música.
I like art and music.

Art and music are two things, right? Shouldn't gusta (singular) really be gustan (plural)?

Not always. Things get a little messy when y is used in the subject. The official rule comes down to "countability." If your subjects are "countable" (tangible, concrete, specific), you should treat them as plural and use gustan:

Me gustan el vestido y la cartera.
I like the dress and the purse.

If your subjects are non-countable (abstract, indefinite), you should treat them as singular and use gusta:

Me gusta la tecnología y la moda.
I like technology and fashion.

Regardless of grammar, you're more likely to see and hear the singular gusta when the subject has an y in it, even if the subject is countable.

Ambiguity with Le and Les

If you use me, te, nos, or os as your indirect object pronoun, the meaning of the sentence should be clear. However, if you use le or les, it's not readily apparent whom you're talking about. For instance, how would you translate these sentences?

Le gustan los libros.
Le gustan las películas.
¿Les gustan las canciones?

The first sentence could be translated "He likes books," "She likes books," or even "You ( Ud.) like books." To clear up any confusion, Spanish speakers will often add some context to the sentence by adding a and a pronoun:

It may seem redundant to include both a él and le in the same sentence since they mean the same thing, but it happens regularly in Spanish. Even if we don't need to, we always use an indirect object pronoun with gustar.

In a similar way, if you need to include someone's name in the sentence, you'll start with a followed by their name, and you'll still use the indirect object pronoun:

Remember that the a is necessary because even though Elena, Marcos, Rodrigo and Felipe are at the beginning of the sentence, they're the objects of the sentence, not the subjects. We need to say "To Elena," "To Marcos," and "To Rodrigo and Felipe."

Added Emphasis

We can also use a and a prepositional pronoun where it would otherwise be unnecessary in order to emphasize whose opinion you're discussing:

Even though they are redundant, a ti is used together with te, and a mí is used with me, to put a stronger emphasis on the "you" and the "me."

Notes on Gustar

Gustar Questions

Normally to turn a sentence into a question we move the subject from the beginning of the sentence to the end. With gustar the subject is already at the end of the sentence, so all we need to do is add the question marks:

Gustar with Other Verbs

Simply pair gusta with an infinitive to say that you like doing something. No need to conjugate twice:

Gustar in Other Tenses

Gustar works the same way in other tenses (and moods):

Note: It's appropriate to say ¡Con mucho gusto! ("With much pleasure!") when meeting someone.

Liking People

Gustar is typically used to state that you like things, not that you like people. While it's not out of the question to say something like Me gustas tú ("You are pleasing to me") or Les gustamos ("We are pleasing to them"), those expressions can indicate physical attraction and should be used carefully. You're better off re-wording things or using the phrase caer bien:

Caer bien literally means "to fall well," but in this context would be more like "to leave a good impression." You can use caer mal to indicate dislike: Me cae mal Ronaldo.

Unless you're very narcissistic, you're going to want to avoid saying Me gusto.

Other Verbs Similar to Gustar

While we're on the subject of gustar, there are a number of other verbs which work similarly. The following verbs all take an indirect object pronoun and they usually come in front of the subject:

Some examples:

No me importan las razones.
I don't care about the reasons.
(The reasons aren't important to me.)

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Spanish sentences generally use the same order and sentence structure as English sentences. An example: Here both sentences start with a subject, move on to a verb, and finish off with an object. But this isn't always the case. Certain Spanish verbs basically work in reverse, which forces us to change the order of the sentence.

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I chose this website because it not only helps by showing gustar, but it also shows different verbs similar to gustar (like aburrir, encantar, etc). It also has little quizzes to help you test yourself to see if you are getting the hang of it. https://studyspanish.com/grammar/lessons/gustar

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnfjANNBLlY
I like how she explained the difference between between English in Spanish regarding how in Spanish we can't express that we like rather that the item is pleasing to me. So the subject doing the action is the thing and it is fascinating to me or important to me..  But is it different when we don't like something?  Because I think we can so no Me gusta esto... right?

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I chose this video because it was easy to follow. I like how it got into the exact word for word translation because I've learned that you can't do that in Spanish.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJ-aewNDE2I

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I liked the following simple grammar game because it helps you learn the pronouns that go with gustar. It helps you memorize and also learn when to use which one.
https://www.spanish.cl/grammar-games/indirect-object-pronoun-gustar.htm

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https://www.spanishdict.com/guide/verbs-like-gustar

This website provides a succinct, straight-forward explanation of gustar and how to use in in sentences. There are audio examples for each sentence, and also a long list of similar verbs to gustar with audio.

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I like how there is a nice description of each of the similar words. The blog style of the post also makes it easy to read and understand. https://www.fluentu.com/blog/spanish/verbs-like-gustar/

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I really liked this page mainly because of the layout and how it gives you both the English and Spanish versions so you can see the difference between the two.

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How to use GUSTAR and similar verbs

The verb GUSTAR (to like) is very common but it can be very tricky to use. In this tutorial we will learn how to cope with the tricky verb GUSTAR (to like) and other "back-to-front" verbs.

Gustar is one of the "back to front" verbs in Spanish. It means "to like" but unless you use it correctly you might say something totally different from what you mean. I'll explain. Look at these sentences:

Amar = to love
Acompañar = to accompany
Adorar = to adore
Cuidar = to look after

Te amo. = I love you.
Te acompaño = I accompany you.
Te adoro. = I adore you.
Te cuido. = I look after you.

OK. How do you say "I like you" in Spanish with "gustar"? If you said "Te gusto" you are wrong, because "te gusto" means "you like me". This is because "gustar" belongs to a group of verbs that seem to be back to front to English speakers.
They are usually verbs that express an emotional response to something. If you get confused with the verb "GUSTAR" it is better to consider that it means "to be pleasing to"

So to say "I like you" consider it as "to me - you are pleasing" then it is easier to work out how to say:
I like you. - Me gustas.
I like it. - Me gusta.
I like them. - Me gustan.
I like her. - Me gusta
I don't like them. - No me gustan.
Do you like them? - ¿Te gustan?
Does she like it? - ¿Le gusta?
Do you like it? (plural) - ¿Os gusta?
We like this hotel. - Nos gusta este hotel.

Do you like the book?

¿Te gusta el libro?

Did you like the book?

¿Te gustó el libro?

I don't like dogs at all.

No me gustan nada los perros.

I like the way she smiles.

Me gusta como sonríe.

I don't like you going out with them.
(note the use of the subjunctive: salgas)

No me gusta que salgas con ellos.

Position of the words:
Note that the position is quite flexible and the thing that is liked can come before or after:

I like Sarah.

Sarah me gusta. or Me gusta Sarah

I like her.

Ella me gusta. or Me gusta ella.

Making the 3rd person clear
If you say "le gusta el chocolate" it is not clear if you mean "she likes chocolate" or "he likes chocolate". If you want to make it clear, you can add "a ella" or "a él"either before or after.
Note that the "a" comes before "the person doing the liking" not the "thing liked".

He likes brandy.

"A él le gusta el cognac." or "Le gusta a él el cognac."

She likes beer.

A ella le gusta la cerveza.

I think that Juan likes María.

Creo que a Juan le gusta María.

Here are a few more examples of "back-to-front verbs". None of them are as difficult to get your head round as "gustar":
molestar (to bother), horrorizar (to horrify, to appall), hacer gracia (to be funny to someone), caer bien/mal (to get on well/badly with), doler (to hurt), importar (to mind, to care about), encantar (to like very much, be delighted by), interesar (to be interested in), hacer falta (to need for a purpose, to be necessary)

Does it bother you if I smoke?

¿Te molesta si fumo?

What bothers me is his attitude.

Lo que me molesta es su actitud.

It's funny you should say that.

Me hace gracia que digas eso.

I don't think it's funny at all.

No me hace ninguna gracia.

My feet ache.

Me duelen los pies.

He's got a headache (his head hurts).

Le duele la cabeza.

What's it to you? (said: in a bad tempered way when someone is being nosey)

¿A ti qué te importa?

I couldn't care less what they say.

Me importa (un bledo) lo que dicen.

Would you mind leaving it until tomorrow?

¿Te importaría dejarlo para mañana?

I really like it. (it's delightful)

Me encanta.

I am not interested in politics at all.

No me interesa la política en absoluto.

It's not necessary to write a long letter.

No hace falta que escribas una carta larga.

You don't have to be a genius to know who said that.

No hace falta ser un genio para saber quién dijo eso.

I get on very well with your cousin.

Tu primo me cae muy bien.

I'm appalled at how badly those children behave.

Me horroriza lo mal que se portan esos niños.

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Spanish verbs - how to use GUSTAR correctly - common Spanish expressions

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How to use GUSTAR and similar verbs The verb GUSTAR (to like) is very common but it can be very tricky to use. In this tutorial we will learn how to cope with the tricky verb GUSTAR (to like) and other "back-to-front" verbs. Gustar is one of the "back to front" verbs in Spanish.

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I really liked this info graphic because it is simple and straight to the point in how to use the word gustar. I prefer this type of assistance because it is easy to refer to when you might be curious about the term.
https://www.scott.k12.ky.us/userfiles/2668/Classes/58783/gustar-spanish-sentence-order.jpg

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I like this website. It is very simple but there are 12 sentences that have drop down menus and you get to choose the correct pronoun as well as the correct form of gustar. Once you have completed each sentence it will tell you what you have correct and what you have incorrect so you can practice trial and error.

http://mld.ursinus.edu/~jarana/ejercicios/self-check/gustar2.html

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I really liked the way Larry Keim in this video teaches how to use gustar. It looks like he may have several other Spanish tutorials that I would be interested in taking a look at. His examples and having you repeat back what he is saying was also helpful.

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How to Use the Spanish verb gustar « Spanish Language   Culture

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I use the website below often in this class. For verbs like Gustar, the website gives you verbs congugations, examples, and even pronounces them for you.

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Check out the conjugation for "gustar" on SpanishDict!

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Find out why SpanishDict is the web's most popular, free Spanish translation, dictionary, and conjugation site.

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I liked this site because it is informative, but short and sweet, so not overwhelming. They present the information in a way that is easy to understand. They also address common errors, go over several similar verbs and also add in some funny memes.
https://www.happyhourspanish.com/gustar-similar-verbs-know/

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The following website explains how sentences are reformatted to easily translate back and forth between Spanish and English without confusing word order -
http://www.spanish411.net/Spanish-Using-Gustar.asp

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I like how this video points out the ways that an english speaker would intuitively want to structure certain sentences in english but then explains why normal conjugation does not work for gusta.
https://youtu.be/j88IBmPKIBE

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I like this site because it shows the similarities and differences between English construction and Spanish construction of sentences and is also really comprehensive in its explanation of how / why gustar is used in these ways. https://studyspanish.com/grammar/lessons/gustar

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This gives a good break down of using gusta in singular and plural sentences. It provides a good amount of example with an in depth explanation of why and how to use it.

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Learn to use Spanish verbs like “gustar” (to like something) with this lesson, with instructions on how to remove ambiguity from your phrase.

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https://www.thoughtco.com/using-the-verb-gustar-3079744
I like this site. It is easy to understand and gives good examples.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0K6Yg9lFK8

I liked this video because it not only gave you an interesting lesson on gustar, but also follow up activities.

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I liked this site because the explanation of gustar and similar verbs was clear and there were links on the left side of the page to practice using gustar correctly.
http://drlemon.com/Grammar/Gustar.html

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http://www.brighthubeducation.com/learning-spanish/30976-querer-vs-gustar-vocabulary-mix-ups/

This website depicted gustar and querer, compared them, and then gave specific tips on certain connotations of the verbs when applying them to objects and people.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEW0ICIBo7Q
This video is good for a review and compliments the lecture well.

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For me, reading with good examples is the best way to understand and learn.  I just posted a question asking about the difference between querer and gustar and just by searching to complete this task, I found my answer here: http://studyspanish.com/grammar/lessons/gustar

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http://www.spanish411.net/Spanish-Using-Gustar.asp

I find this website to be helpful, particularly because I need instruction to be from the ground up and assuming that I know nothing. this website did a good job of covering gustar concepts in a way that made a lot of sense to me, and allowed me to build my understanding.

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Informative website explaining the use of gustar

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So how do we translate "Pizza is pleasing to me"? Well, we still need to make another change before we can translate. Gustar is a member of a class of verbs sometimes called "backwards verbs." Sentences that use backwards verbs have an abnormal sentence structure.

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I like how she teaches and that she repeats herself and has all the written forms visible during the entire lesson.

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The tutorials that use both video and audio are pleasing to me. I like some of the same videos that had already been chosen.

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In another lesson, we talked about how gustar was a verb with special conjugations. What do you think the sentence, Me gusta comer means? It means 'I like to eat.' Anytime we are talking about an action (or verb) we like to do, we always use gustar in its singular form, gusta.

What if we wanted to say that, 'I like to eat apples.' Me gusta comer las manzanas. We still have gusta since the focus is on the action of eating. Now, what if we wanted to say, 'I like apples.' Here, notice we are not saying we like an action or verb but rather a noun, apples. We would say, 'Me gustan las manzanas.'

Take a look at these sentences and see if you notice a pattern:

Me gustan las zanahorias.

Me gustan los guisantes.

Me gusta la cebolla.

Me gusta el maíz.

Why do you think we say, 'Me gustan las zanahorias' and 'Me gusta la cebolla?' That's right! When it's plural, as in the case with carrots, we use gustan. If it is singular, like la cebolla? Gusta.

Did you notice anything else about these sentences? Muy bien! Each sentence has the definite article: las, los, la or el.

Sentence Breakdown: Gusta vs. Gustan

Remember that, when forming sentences about things we like, we must include various parts. What it is we like, zanahorias, for example. We also need the definite article. Zanahorias ends in -as, so what do you think? Bien! Las zanahorias'. Since it is plural, should we use gusta or gustan? Excelente! We use gustan since we are talking about las zanahorias.

Now, if I wanted to say that I like carrots? Muy bien! We need to add me since I am talking about myself. If we wanted to add emphasis, we could add A mí. A mí me gustan las zanahorias.

Let's try another. Now I want to ask a friend if he likes corn, maíz. This is a tricky one, but do you think corn is masculine or feminine? Good! Masculino! Singular or plural? Singular. Bien! It's el maíz'. Since it's el maíz, we use gusta. So, it will be informal. Te gusta el maíz'? And, for emphasis, A ti te gusta el maíz?

Grocery Shopping

Now that you know the uses of gusta and gustan, let's see them being put to use as we go grocery shopping with a mother and her two children. Who knew children were so picky about their fruits and vegetables!

Mmmmm. Me gustan las manzanas. Compro 4. (I like apples. I'll buy 4.)

A ustedes les gustan los guisantes? (Do you guys like peas?)

Ick! No nos gustan los guisantes! (No, we don't like peas!)

Y les gusta la lechuga? (And, do you guys like lettuce?)

A mí me gusta la lechuga. (I like lettuce.)

Hermano, a ti te gusta la lechuga? (Brother, do you like lettuce?)

No! A mí no me gusta la lechuga. Pero sí me gustan las zanahorias y las judías verdes. (No! I don't like lettuce. But, I do like carrots and green beans.)

Entonces las compramos porque a mí y a tu padre nos gustan las zanahorias y las judías verdes también. (So, we will buy them because your father and I like carrots and green beans, too.)

Hmmm. Qué más? Ay, la fruta! (What else? Ah, the fruit!)

A ustedes les gusta la fruta, verdad? (You guys like fruit, right?)

Sí! Nos gusta la manzana. Nos gusta la naranja. Nos gustan las fresas. Nos gustan las uvas. (Yes! We like apple. We like orange. We like strawberries. We like grapes.)

Y a tu padre? A él que le gusta? (And, your dad? What does he like?)

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gustar: how gustar is used with nouns in spanish grammar - video & lesson transcript | study.com

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Gustar: How Gustar is Used with Nouns in Spanish Grammar - Video & Lesson Transcript | Study.com

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In another lesson, we talked about how gustar was a verb with special conjugations. What do you think the sentence, Me gusta comer means? It means 'I like to eat.' Anytime we are talking about an action (or verb) we like to do, we always use gustar in its singular form, gusta.

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Jodi Tartir This site is pretty helpful for learning since it is in a simple game format. You can also change the settings for levels of difficulty as you learn more. 

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Jodi Tartir This site is pretty helpful for learning since it is in a simple game format. You can also change the settings for levels of difficulty as you learn more. 

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https://maestrospanish.com/index.html

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This video is very interactive. It is an extremely informative video and she demonstrates what she is doing or talking about. I also love how she is excited to explain gustar.

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Here is a simple resource that really helped me understand gustar.

http://www.drlemon.com/Grammar/Gustar.html

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Click below to check out a hilarious game in which you are allowed to shoot your opponent each time you answer correctly. BTW - He shoots you when you are wrong :)
http://www.123teachme.com/games/tank/category/present_gustar

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Tracy, I remember learning some of these songs in middle school!

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This is a good at-a-glance resource for gustar

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Full verb conjugation table for gustar along with example sentences and printable version. Over 1000 Spanish verbs conjugated.

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A good at-a-glance chart for gustar

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Full verb conjugation table for gustar along with example sentences and printable version. Over 1000 Spanish verbs conjugated.

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For the literal translation of Gustar and verbs used like gustar, this is a great resource:

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1. The written lesson is below.

2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

This is a good time to discuss the verb "gustar" because using it requires use of the IO pronouns.

In English, the following sentences are correct:

I like the room.
We like the books.

Examine the same sentences more closely.

I like the room.
I = subject of sentence
like = verb
the room = direct object
We like the books.
We = subject of sentence
like = verb
the books = direct object

In English, it is correct to construct a sentence that has the subject "liking" a direct object. In Spanish, this never occurs. In Spanish, a different construction is used.

The first thing you need to notice is that both versions really mean the same thing. They are merely different expressions of the same idea.

Idea: My feelings with regard to the book are positive.

The second thing to notice is that in English, the subject of the sentence is the person (I, we) while in Spanish the subject of the sentence is the object (room, books).

Finally notice that while the English sentence has a direct object, the Spanish sentence has an indirect object.

The room is pleasing to me.
me = Indirect Object

I like the room.
room = Direct Object

Let's study the following example:

Me gustan los libros.

Notice that gustar is conjugated as "gustan" not "gusto." A common mistake is to say "Me gusto los libros." This is incorrect because the subject of the sentence is "los libros" even though it comes at the end. Remember, the verb is conjugated to agree with the subject of the sentence.

Me gustan los libros. (I like the books.)

Notice that the conjugation of gustar changes to "gusta" when the subject of the sentence is singular.

Me gusta el libro. (I like the book.)

Since the subject of the sentence must be either singular (book) or plural (books), the only forms of gustar you will use are "gusta" and "gustan." This is true regardless of what IO pronoun appears in the sentence.

Remember, gustar becomes either gusta or gustan, depending upon whether the subject of the sentence is singular or plural. It has nothing to do with which IO pronoun is used.

Subject is singular - use gusta
Me gusta el libro.
Te gusta el libro.
Subject is plural - use gustan
Me gustan los libros.
Te gustan los libros.

Remember, the IO pronoun is not the subject of the sentence!

Here are some examples of the correct use of gustar. Notice that the only forms of gustar that appear are gusta and gustan, even though each of the IO pronouns is used.

Look more closely at one example:

Le gusta la silla.

It is impossible to tell whether this means:

1. He likes the chair.

2. She likes the chair.

3. You (usted) like the chair.

For purposes of clarification, the sentence will often begin with a prepositional phrase that clarifies just who the IO pronoun refers to.

As you can see, by adding a prepositional phrase, we remove the ambiguity of the "le" form.

You can also use a prepositional phrase to add emphasis, even if there is no ambiguity.

1. A Juan le gusta el café.
John likes coffee.

2. A mí me gusta el té.
I like tea.

In the first example, "a Juan" clarifies the ambiguous pronoun "le." In the second example, there is no ambiguity. "Me gusta el té" can only mean "I like tea." In this case, "a mí" adds emphasis, drawing attention to the fact that tea is what I like (as contrasted with what Juan likes).

Another way to look at it:

John likes coffee. Me, I like tea.
A Juan le gusta el café. A mí me gusta el té.

Now that you know how to correctly use the verb gustar, here is a list of verbs that operate in the same manner:

The practice exercises focus on 5 useful verbs:

Note that all of the other verbs listed above behave in the same fashion as the five practice verbs.

Let's add a flashcard for the special verb "gustar":

To "like" something

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The written lesson is below. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left. This is a good time to discuss the verb "gustar" because using it requires use of the IO pronouns. In English, the following sentences are correct: I like the room. We like the books.