The verb gustar – to like is used to talk about things that people enjoy or prefer. Unlike most Spanish verbs, gustar does not follow the typical subject-verb pattern used in English. Instead, the structure focuses on the thing that is liked rather than the person who likes it. In this module, you will learn how gustar works and how to use it to talk about preferences and interests.
Lesson 1: What Gustar Means
The verb gustar is commonly translated as to like, but its literal meaning is closer to “to be pleasing.”
Because of this structure, the thing that is liked becomes the subject of the sentence.
Sample Sentences
Me gusta el café – I like coffee Me gusta la música – I like music Me gusta el chocolate – I like chocolate Me gusta el cine – I like the movies Me gusta la pizza – I like pizza
Lesson 2: Indirect Object Pronouns with Gustar
The verb gustar is used with indirect object pronouns that indicate who likes something.
Me gusta – I like Te gusta – You like Le gusta – He / she likes Nos gusta – We like Les gusta – They like
Sample Sentences
Te gusta el restaurante nuevo – You like the new restaurant Le gusta la película – He or she likes the movie Nos gusta la ciudad – We like the city Les gusta la playa – They like the beach Me gusta el parque – I like the park
Lesson 3: Singular and Plural with Gustar
The verb gustar changes depending on whether the thing being liked is singular or plural.
Gusta is used with singular nouns. Gustan is used with plural nouns.
Sample Sentences
Me gusta el libro – I like the book Me gustan los libros – I like the books Te gusta la canción – You like the song Te gustan las canciones – You like the songs Nos gustan las montañas – We like the mountains
Lesson 4: Talking About Activities with Gustar
The verb gustar can also be used with verbs to talk about activities someone enjoys.
Sample Sentences
Me gusta viajar – I like to travel Te gusta estudiar español – You like to study Spanish Le gusta cocinar – He or she likes to cook Nos gusta caminar en el parque – We like to walk in the park Les gusta nadar en el océano – They like to swim in the ocean
Lesson 5: Clarifying Who Likes Something
Sometimes Spanish adds a phrase with a to clarify who likes something.
Sample Sentences
A María le gusta el café – María likes coffee A Carlos le gusta el fútbol – Carlos likes soccer A los estudiantes les gusta la clase – The students like the class A mi hermano le gusta la música – My brother likes music A nosotros nos gusta la ciudad – We like the city
End of Module Review
In this module, you learned how the verb gustar works in Spanish. Unlike most verbs, gustar focuses on the thing that is liked rather than the person who likes it. You practiced structures such as me gusta, te gusta, and nos gusta, and you learned how the verb changes between gusta and gustan depending on whether the object is singular or plural. Understanding gustar will help you talk about your preferences and interests in Spanish conversations.