Some expressions use a different sentence structure in Spanish compared to that used in English to express the same meaning. The most common example is the use of verbs like “gustar” (to please) in Spanish. Let us examine this sentence in Spanish:
Me gusta el auto.
This is often translated as: “I like the car.”
A more accurate and literal translation would be:
“The car is pleasing to me.”
Note that the verb conjugation is in the third-person singular form because “el auto” is the subject that does the act of pleasing, and “me” is the object. Thus, the conjugation of the verb “gustar” must agree with the subject “el auto.”
Let us take another example. If you want to say that someone is interested in ancient cultures, the best way to say that is:
Le interesan las culturas antiguas.
Here, we use the verb “interesar” (to interest), and the sentence is translated as:
“Ancient cultures interest him (or her).”
Note that the verb is conjugated as “interesan” because “las culturas antiguas” is the subject, and “le” is the object. Thus, the conjugation of the verb “interesar” must agree with the subject “las culturas antiguas.”
As you can see, we use the indirect object “le” to express the meaning “to him” or “to her,” that is, that the ancient cultures interest him or her. However, remember that “le” can also mean “to him,” “to her,” or even “to you” (formal). To remove ambiguity, one might optionally say:
“A María le interesan las culturas antiguas,” or “A ella le interesan las culturas antiguas.”
This is translated as:
“Ancient cultures interest María,” or “Ancient cultures interest her.”
More Examples using the Verb “Gustar”
Below are more examples of expressions with the verb “gustar.”
English Example | Prep. Object Pronoun | Indirect Object Pronoun | Spanish Equivalent |
I like reading. | mí | me | A mí me gusta leer. |
You like reading. (singular informal) | ti | te | A ti te gusta leer. |
He likes reading. | él | le | A él le gusta leer. |
She likes reading. | ella | le | A ella le gusta leer. |
You like reading. (singular formal) | usted | le | A usted le gusta leer. |
We like reading. | nosotros/-as | nos | A nosotros nos gusta leer. |
You like reading. (plural informal) | vosotros/-as | os | A vosotros os gusta leer. |
They like reading. | ellos/ellas | les | A ellos les gusta leer. |
You like reading. (plural formal) | ustedes | les | A ustedes les gusta leer. |
Note again how the verb “gustar” does not change conjugation in the examples above because “leer” (to read) is singular; thus, it takes the second-person conjugation “gusta.”
In cases where ambiguity is not an issue, the introductory “a + prepositional object pronoun” can be omitted, e.g., “A mí me gusta leer” is just an emphasis of “Me gusta leer,” and both mean “I like reading.”
The verb “gustar” is used to express the liking of things rather than of persons. If said about a person, it usually has a physical or sexual meaning to the act of liking, e.g., “Me gustan las mujeres altas” (I like tall women). If you want to express the liking of a person for his traits, use the verb “caer bien” (to like, to suit, or to get along), e.g., “Me cae bien Julio. Él es una buena persona” (I like Julio. He is a good person).
Other Verbs Similar to “Gustar”
Here is a list of verbs like “gustar” that are common in Spanish:
Verb | Meaning | Example | |
aburrir | to bore | Me aburren los videojuegos. | Video games are boring to me. |
agradar | to please | Nos agrada el lugar. | We like the place. |
alegrar | to gladden | ¿Te alegra estudiar? | Do you like studying? |
bastar | to be enough | A él eso le basta. | That’s enough for him. |
caer bien | to like or to get along | Me cae bien tu amigo. | I like your friend. |
caer mal | to not like or to not get along | Nos caen mal estos políticos. | We don’t like these politicians. |
convenir | to suit or to be convenient | Llámame si te conviene. | Call me if it is convenient for you. |
costar | to cost or to be difficult | Me cuesta aprender inglés. | I find it difficult to learn English. |
interesar | to interest | No me interesa el tema. | I am not interested in the topic. |
dar asco | to be disgusted | Me da asco tu comportamiento. | Your behavior disgusts me. |
disgustar | to disgust | Me disgustan esos problemas. | Those problems disgust me. |
doler | to be painful | A ella le duele la espalda. | She has back pain. |
encantar | to love something | Me encanta este restaurante. | I love this restaurant. |
faltar | to be lacking | Me falta un libro más. | I am missing one more book. |
fascinar | to fascinate | A ella le fascina el hockey. | Hockey fascinates her. |
hacer falta | to be missing | ¿Te hace falta algo? | Do you need something? |
importar | to be important | No me importa. | I don’t care. |
molestar | to bother | Te llamo si no te molesta. | I’ll call you if it doesn’t bother you. |
parecer | to seem | Me parece interesante. | It seems interesting to me. |
resultar [1] | to find | Me resulta muy interesante el tema. | I find the topic very interesting. |
tocar [2] | to be one’s turn or responsibility | Me toca traer la comida. | It’s my turn to bring food. |
volver loco | to be crazy about | Me vuelven loco los gatos. | I am crazy about cats. |
[1] The verb “resultar” also means “to result in” or “to turn out to be,” e.g., “La cirugía puede resultar en efectos secundarios” (The surgery can result in side effects). [2] The verb “tocar” has several other meanings, such as “to touch,” “to play (music),” “to ring (bell),” “to knock (on door),” and “to honk (horn).”
Quiz: Verbs Like “Gustar” in Spanish
Other lessons in Level III: