Inklingo

How to Say "interests" in Spanish

English → Spanish

intereses

/in-te-RE-ses//in.teˈɾe.ses/

nounA2general
Use 'intereses' when referring to a person's hobbies, passions, or subjects they are concerned with.
A happy child sitting on the floor surrounded by various objects representing different hobbies, including a book, a soccer ball, and paintbrushes.

Examples

¿Cuáles son tus intereses fuera del trabajo?

What are your interests outside of work?

Tenemos muchos intereses en común, por eso somos buenos amigos.

We have many interests in common, that's why we are good friends.

Always Plural

When talking about hobbies, 'intereses' is always used in the plural, just like in English when you say 'my interests'.

Using the Singular for Multiple Hobbies

Mistake: “Mi interés son el deporte y la música.”

Correction: Mis intereses son el deporte y la música. (Use the plural noun and plural verb 'son' when listing more than one thing.)

interesa

/een-teh-REH-sah//inteˈɾesa/

verbA1general
Use 'interesa' as the third-person singular present tense of the verb 'interesar' when something 'interests' someone, meaning it catches their attention or they find it appealing.
A curious girl with wide, fascinated eyes looking closely at a brightly colored, sparkling gemstone, illustrating that the object interests her.

Examples

¿Te interesa la historia de Roma?

Does the history of Rome interest you? (Are you interested in it?)

A mi jefe solo le interesa el resultado final.

My boss is only interested in the final result.

Lo que realmente me interesa es viajar sin prisas.

What really interests me is traveling without rushing.

The Gustar Structure

When using 'interesa' to mean 'I am interested in X,' the verb 'interesa' must agree with X, not with the person. X is the subject. We use 'me,' 'te,' or 'le' to show who is interested.

Singular vs. Plural

Use 'interesa' when the thing that is interesting is one thing ('La música interesa'). Use 'interesan' when the things that are interesting are plural ('Los libros interesan').

Using the Subject Pronoun Incorrectly

Mistake: “Yo intereso la política. (Literal: I interest politics.)”

Correction: A mí me interesa la política. (Politics interests me / I am interested in politics.) Remember, the person is the receiver of the interest.

Noun vs. Verb Confusion

The most common mistake is using the verb form 'interesa' when you mean the noun 'intereses' (hobbies/concerns). Remember: if you're talking about what someone *likes* or is *concerned with*, use the plural noun 'intereses'.

Related Translations

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