When you start exploring Spanish, you’ll encounter a fascinating group of verbs that work differently from what you might expect. These verbs, including “gustar” (to like), follow a unique pattern that might seem backwards at first, but actually reveals an elegant way of expressing feelings and experiences.
The Basic Concept
In English, when you say “I like the book,” you’re the subject doing the liking. But in Spanish, the book is actually the subject doing the “pleasing.” You’re the recipient of that pleasing feeling. This might sound strange, but once you grasp this concept, you’ll find it opens up a whole new way of expressing yourself.
Essential Structure
The basic pattern follows: (Indirect Object Pronoun) + (Conjugated Verb) + (Subject)
For example:
- Me gusta el café (I like coffee)
- Te gustan las películas (You like the movies)
- Les encanta bailar (They love to dance)
Indirect Object Pronouns
| English | Spanish |
|---|---|
| to me | me |
| to you (informal) | te |
| to him/her/you (formal) | le |
| to us | nos |
| to you all (Spain) | os |
| to them/you all (formal) | les |
How the Verb Changes
Remember: the verb agrees with what’s being liked, not who’s doing the liking. Here’s how it works:
With singular subjects:
- Me gusta el libro (I like the book)
- Te gusta la música (You like the music)
- Le gusta estudiar (She likes to study)
With plural subjects:
- Me gustan los libros (I like the books)
- Te gustan las canciones (You like the songs)
- Les gustan las fiestas (They like parties)
Beyond “Gustar”
This pattern extends to many other useful verbs:
- Encantar (to love/really like) Me encanta este restaurante (I love this restaurant)
- Interesar (to interest) ¿Te interesa la historia? (Are you interested in history?)
- Faltar (to lack/be missing) Nos faltan dos sillas (We’re missing two chairs)
- Doler (to hurt) Me duele la cabeza (My head hurts)
- Parecer (to seem) ¿Te parece bien? (Does that seem good to you?)
- Importar (to matter) No me importa el dinero (Money doesn’t matter to me)
Real-World Examples
Let’s see these verbs in action:
“¿Qué te parece si vamos al cine?” (How does going to the movies sound to you?)
“A Juan le duelen los pies después de correr.” (Juan’s feet hurt after running.)
“Nos encantan las tradiciones de México.” (We love Mexican traditions.)
“A María le faltan tres días para su cumpleaños.” (Maria has three days until her birthday.)
Common Mistakes to Avoid
English speakers often try to translate word-for-word: ❌ Yo gusto los tacos ✅ Me gustan los tacos
Don’t forget to match plural subjects: ❌ Me gusta los perros ✅ Me gustan los perros
Final Thoughts
These verbs might seem tricky at first, but they reflect a beautiful aspect of Spanish – the way it expresses experiences happening to you, rather than you always being the active doer. This perspective can actually enrich your understanding of how different languages can express the same idea in unique ways.