gusta
“gusta” means “is pleasing to” in Spanish (The direct meaning, used for singular things or activities).
is pleasing to
Also: he/she/it likes
📝 In Action
Me gusta el café por la mañana.
A1I like coffee in the morning.
A mi madre le gusta caminar en el parque.
A1My mother likes to walk in the park.
¿No te gusta esta canción?
A1Don't you like this song?
A nosotros nos gusta mucho viajar.
A2We really like to travel.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: gusta
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly says 'I like the dogs'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Latin verb 'gustāre', which means 'to taste' or 'to try'. The idea evolved from simply tasting something to finding it pleasant or liking it.
First recorded: Around the 12th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why can't I just say 'Yo gusto...' like I say 'Yo como...'?
It's a great question! 'Gustar' works differently than most verbs. Instead of you doing an action *to* something (like eating a taco), with 'gustar', the thing is doing an action *to you* (the taco is 'pleasing' to you). That's why the sentence structure is flipped and you need 'me', 'te', 'le', etc.
So 'gusta' is only for 'he/she/it'? What if *I* like something?
You're right that 'gusta' is the 'he/she/it' form of the verb. But remember, the subject of the sentence is the *thing being liked*. So if you like one apple ('la manzana'), the apple is the 'it' in the sentence, which is why we use 'gusta'. We show that *you* are the one who likes it by putting 'me' in front: 'Me gusta la manzana'.