You've just met someone at a language exchange, and they ask, "¿Te gusta el fútbol?" You want to say "Yes, I love it, but I don't like running." In English, "I" is the subject. In Spanish, the thing you like is the subject, and that one change explains everything about gustar.
Level: A1.
How gustar works
"Me gusta el café" is literally "Coffee is pleasing to me". Coffee does the pleasing, so the verb agrees with coffee. The person who likes it is shown by a small pronoun in front:
| Who likes it | Pronoun | Example |
|---|---|---|
| I | me | Me gusta el café. |
| you (tú) | te | Te gusta el café. |
| he, she, you (usted) | le | Le gusta el café. |
| we | nos | Nos gusta el café. |
| you all (vosotros) | os | Os gusta el café. |
| they, you all (ustedes) | les | Les gusta el café. |
That's why "yo gusto" is wrong: it would mean "I am pleasing".
Gusta or gustan?
Look at what comes after the verb, not at the person.
- One thing: me gusta la pizza.
- An activity (infinitive): me gusta nadar. Two activities usually still take gusta: me gusta leer y escribir.
- More than one thing: me gustan los libros.
Use the article with things in general: "me gusta el chocolate", not "me gusta chocolate".
Saying no and asking
No goes before the pronoun: "No me gusta el pescado." To ask, keep the same order and change your voice: "¿Te gusta bailar?" To a stranger or someone older, use usted: "¿Le gusta bailar?"
A mí, a ti, a Ana
"Le gusta" could mean he, she or you (usted). To make it clear, add a + the person: "A Ana le gusta la música." Keep the le: "A Ana gusta la música" is wrong.
You can also add a mí, a ti, a nosotros for emphasis or contrast: "A mí me gusta, pero a él no."
Verbs like gustar
These follow exactly the same pattern:
- encantar (to love a thing or activity): me encanta viajar. It's already strong, so you usually don't add mucho.
- interesar (to interest): nos interesa el arte.
- doler (to hurt): me duele la cabeza; me duelen los pies. Use el or los with body parts, not mi.
- molestar (to bother): me molesta el ruido.
- parecer (to seem): me parece bien (sounds good to me).
Spain and Latin America
- os gusta (you all, informal) is used in most of Spain. In Latin America, "les gusta" covers every group.
- In Argentina, Uruguay and other places that use vos, you'll hear "¿A vos te gusta?" The pronoun is still te.
Talking about people
"Me gustas" means "I like you", and it often sounds romantic. For "I like him, he's nice", many speakers say "me cae bien": "Me cae bien tu hermano."
Mistakes learners make
- "Yo gusto la pizza." Say "Me gusta la pizza."
- Gusta with a plural. "Me gusta los gatos" should be "me gustan los gatos."
- No in the wrong place. "Me no gusta" should be "no me gusta."
- Dropping le after a name. "A mi madre le gusta el té", with le.
- Mi with doler. "Me duele la cabeza", not "me duele mi cabeza."
Frequently asked questions
How do you use gustar in Spanish?
Put the pronoun for the person first (me, te, le, nos, os, les), then gusta for one thing or an activity, or gustan for several things: me gustan los gatos.
Why is it "me gusta" and not "yo gusto"?
Gustar means "to be pleasing", so the thing you like is the subject. "Yo gusto" would mean "I am pleasing".
When do you use gusta and gustan?
Gusta with a singular noun or an infinitive (me gusta correr); gustan with a plural noun (me gustan las flores).
What verbs are like gustar?
Common ones at A1 are encantar, interesar, doler, molestar and parecer. They all use me, te, le… and agree with the thing, not the person.
Try it
Say each card out loud before you flip it. Then answer the question from the language exchange: ¿Cómo se dice "Yes, I love football, but I don't like running"?