This verb is very important.

Gustar …
Likes and Dislikes….
This verb is very important.
And “un poco” unusual.
GUSTAR
En ingles, significa “to like”
En español, significa “to be pleasing”
In English, we say “I like pizza”
In Spanish,
we say “the pizza pleases me”
Subject and Verb
I like pizza … in English,
“I” is the subject … like is the “verb” …pizza is the
“direct object”
In Spanish, we say…
◦ Pizza pleases me. …or “to me, pizza is pleasing”
“Pizza” is the subject… “pleases” is the verb …
“me” is the indirect object
Word order is reversed..
Using the verb “Gustar”
We start by deciding “the thing” that
pleases us (is pleasing to us)
Next, decide who likes it…
I like … me gusta(n)
You (familiar) like … te gusta(n)
You (formal), he, she likes … le gusta(n)
We like … nos gusta(n)
You guys (in Spain) like… os gusta(n)
You guys, they like … les gusta(n)
The thing that is pleasing
If the thing that we like is singular (or
another verb)… use “gusta”
◦ I like pizza … me gusta la pizza.
◦ I like to eat …. Me gusta comer.
If the thing that we like is plural, we use
“gustan”
◦ I like books… me gustan los libros.
◦ I like pretty houses… me gustan las casas
bonitas.
Clarifying “who” likes it…
Because “le gusta” can mean you, he, or
she likes… we have to clarify the “who”
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
A mi, me gusta …
A ti, te gusta
A usted / a él / a ella, le gusta
A Tom / a Susana, le gusta
A nosotros, nos gusta (a Tom y yo, nos gusta)
A ellos / a ellas / a ustedes les gusta
A Tom y Susana les gusta
“Clarifiers” … to clarify “who” likes
the object
Me =
a mí
Te
a ti
Le
=
=
a él
a ella
a Ud.
(a Roberto)
(a Lola)
(a tu hermano)
Nos
=
a nosotros
Os
=
a vosotros
Les
=
a ellos
a ellas
a Uds.
(a Roberto y a Luis)
(a Lola y a Carmen)
(a mis amigos)
Gustar
Constructing the Sentence
To
emphasize
Object – the Form of
person who Gustar
“is pleased”
Subject (A
verb)
Subject (the
thing that is
pleasing)
Infinitive
Singular Noun
Plural Noun
Practice…
I like dogs.
Do you like to eat Mexican food?
She likes “espagueti”(m)
Tom and I like to swim (nadar)
Bill and Maria like vegetables.