Gustar and Similar Verbs

The verb gustar is one of the trickiest concepts for English speakers learning Spanish. It is often translated as "to like," but it actually works in the opposite direction compared to English. Understanding gustar will also unlock a whole family of similar verbs that follow the same pattern.

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How Gustar Really Works

In English, you say: I like pizza.

In Spanish, the literal structure is: Pizza is pleasing to me. — Me gusta la pizza.

The subject of the sentence is not the person who likes something — it is the thing that is liked. The person who likes it is expressed with an indirect object pronoun.

English	Spanish	Literal Translation
I like the book.	Me gusta el libro.	The book is pleasing to me.
She likes the flowers.	Le gustan las flores.	The flowers are pleasing to her.
We like music.	Nos gusta la musica.	Music is pleasing to us.

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The Two Key Forms: Gusta vs Gustan

Because the thing liked is the subject, gustar is almost always used in just two forms:

• gusta — when the subject is singular or an infinitive verb
• gustan — when the subject is plural

Singular Subject	Plural Subject
Me gusta el cafe.	Me gustan los gatos.
Me gusta nadar.	Me gustan las peliculas.
Me gusta la musica.	Me gustan los deportes.

Key Rule: Gusta or gustan is determined by what is liked (the grammatical subject), NOT by who likes it.

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Indirect Object Pronouns with Gustar

The person who likes something is expressed with an indirect object pronoun:

Person	Indirect Object Pronoun	Example	Translation
yo	me	Me gusta el te.	I like tea.
tu	te	Te gusta el te.	You like tea.
el/ella/usted	le	Le gusta el te.	He/She likes tea. / You (formal) like tea.
nosotros/as	nos	Nos gusta el te.	We like tea.
vosotros/as	os	Os gusta el te.	You all like tea.
ellos/ellas/ustedes	les	Les gusta el te.	They like tea. / You all (formal) like tea.

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Clarifying with "A + Pronoun/Name"

Because le and les can refer to multiple people, Spanish often adds a + pronoun or a + name to clarify:

• A el le gusta el futbol. — He likes football.
• A ella le gusta el futbol. — She likes football.
• A usted le gusta el futbol. — You (formal) like football.
• A Maria le gustan los perros. — Maria likes dogs.
• A mis padres les gusta viajar. — My parents like to travel.

You can also add a mi, a ti, etc. for emphasis, even though me and te are already clear:

• A mi me gusta el chocolate. — I like chocolate. (emphasised)
• A ti te gusta el chocolate. — You like chocolate. (emphasised)

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Gustar with Infinitives

When you like doing something (an activity), use gusta + infinitive:

• Me gusta nadar. — I like to swim. / I like swimming.
• Nos gusta cocinar. — We like to cook.
• Les gusta bailar y cantar. — They like to dance and sing.
• ?Te gusta leer? — Do you like to read?

Note: Even with multiple infinitives, use gusta (singular): Me gusta leer y escribir.

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Negative Sentences

To say you do not like something, put no before the indirect object pronoun:

• No me gusta el pescado. — I do not like fish.
• No nos gustan las aranas. — We do not like spiders.
• No le gusta madrugar. — He/She does not like getting up early.

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Questions with Gustar