Gustar and Similar Verbs

In English, we say 'I like something,' but in Spanish, the structure is flipped. You say that something is 'pleasing to me.' Think of it this way:

The thing being liked is the subject of the sentence. This means the verb gustar changes based on whether the thing you like is singular or plural.

The Main Rule

There are two main forms you need to know:

• gusta: Use when the thing you like is singular or an infinitive verb.

  • A mí me gusta el chocolate. (The chocolate is pleasing to me.)
  • A ella le gusta bailar. (Dancing is pleasing to her.)

• gustan: Use when the thing you like is plural.

  • A nosotros nos gustan los perros. (The dogs are pleasing to us.)

The person who likes something is the indirect object. You must use an indirect object pronoun before the verb:

• me (to me)
• te (to you, informal)
• le (to him/her/you, formal)
• nos (to us)
• os (to you all, informal)
• les (to them/you all, formal)

Sometimes, you'll see a phrase like A mí or A Juan at the beginning. This is added for clarity (especially for le and les) or for emphasis.

A Juan le gusta el libro. (The book is pleasing to Juan.)

Other Verbs Like Gustar

You might see other verbs in stories that follow this exact same pattern. You don't need to memorize them now, just be aware they work the same way as gustar:

• encantar (to love, to delight)
• interesar (to be interesting to)
• importar (to be important to, to matter)
• doler (to hurt, to be painful to)