Gusto and gusta
How come when I need to say, "i like" its "me gusta" not "me gusto?" when would i use "me gusto?"
****UPDATE: So from the coments, is this true? Gusta/gustan is for objects or things but if i say "me gusto" its i like myself? does that mean when i say "me gustas" its i like you?
11 Answers
Gusto = Taste
To like = gustar
I like (it) - Me gusta
I like myself = Me gusto
How come when I need to say, "i like" its "me gusta" not "me gusto?" when would i use "me gusto?"
Let me return the question to you:
How come when I need to say ***** it is "Football fascinates me" and not "I fascinate Football"? When do I use "I fascinate"?
How come when I need to say ***** it is "Football annoys me" and not "I annoy Football"? When do I use "I annoy"?
How come when I need to say ***** it is "Football interests me" and not "I interest Football"? When do I use "I interest"?
How come when I need to say ***** it is "Football bothers me" and not "I bother Football"? When do I use "I bother"?
How come when I need to say ***** it is "Football disgusts me" and not "I disgust Football"? When do I use "I disgust"?
"Gustar", like those English verbs shown above, is a verb that indicates how you are effected by things, which is why you need that "me" with it, like in English. Your confusion comes from the fact that English has reversed the order of the elements in "to like", while Spanish keeps the "original" construction.
When do you use "I disgust"? When you disgust yourself! Notice the similarity between dis-gust and gust-ar. This is no coincidence.
Gustar doesn't behave like normal verbs. You can't say yo gusto, tu gustas, el gusta, nosotros gustamos, ellos gustan. Normally in a regular sentence, syntax is subject/verb/ direct object - eg, Yo amo a Alberto.
With gustar and other verbs similar to it, correct syntax is indirect object/verb/subject. For example: Me gusta el inglés. Te gusta el inglés. Le gusta el inglés, Nos gusta el inglés. Les gusta el inglés. Literal translations would be English is pleasing to me, English is pleasing to you, English is pleasing to him/her, etc. So el inglés is the subject, gusta is the verb and me is the indirect object pronoun. But since literal translations sometimes are not very good, the translations here would be I like English, you like English, she/he likes English, etc.
Another verb which behaves like gustar is encantar as in the McDonald's commercial "Me encanta". What is really being said is "Me encanta McDonald's" or McDonald's is enchanting to me (literally) but better translation is I love McDonald's.
Whether you use gusta or gustan depends on the subject. If the subject is singular you use 'gusta'. Me gusta el fútbol. If the subject is plural, then you use 'gustan'. Me gustan los dulces.
Hello Felixlynx - one more time. Gustar doesn't act like regular verbs.
Regular verbs use a different word order (syntax). Maria habla español. Subject/verb/direct object.
Gustar does not use the same word order (syntax). Le gusta el español. O A Maria, le gusta el español. indirect object pronoun/verb/subject. There is always an indirect object pronoun before the verb gustar: me gusta, te gusta, etc. depending on who is being pleased (liked).
Even when you say She likes me - Yo le gusto. You like us- Nosotros te gustamos Hmmmmm, this is always difficult to teach to a non native speaker. Is it still not clear to you?
I think terms are getting mixed up in this thread. Lazaurus and Margaret are both correct in explaining the mechanics of "gusta", but by calling it an irregular verb is where the conversation got a little confusing.
Many people consider an irregular verb as a term for conjugation purposes only, but gustar is irregular in how "Beginner Spanish" sentences are put together.
In English, we have the passive voice:
A verb is in the passive voice when the subject of the sentence is acted on by the verb. For example, in “The ball was thrown by the pitcher,” the ball (the subject) receives the action of the verb, and was thrown is in the passive voice. The same sentence cast in the active voice would be, “The pitcher threw the ball.”
Based on the provided examples, it appears that sentences with gustar are automatically constructed in the passive voice, but they provide few clues for English speakers who wouldn't know unless someone told them.
I'm tired of hearing people say that 'gustar' doesn't act like regular verbs.
But it does.
If you apply the correct definition, "to be pleasing" or "to please", it makes perfect sense.
Me gustan los gatos. Cats (s) please (v) me (o).
Gustar is just translated into the word "like" because we don't regularly say "it pleases me" in English.
And yes, you can conjugate it. How else would you say "She likes me, you like us" etc.?
You are intermediate in Spanish and don't understand how to use "me gusta"??
You can say me gusta or me gustan. Gusta is for a singluar object and gustan is for a plural object. The "me" is "I" and you can also say
Te gusta/te gustan-you like
se gusta/se gustan-He, she, your (formal), they, or you all like
nos gusta/nos gustan-We like
os gusta/os gustan-you all like (This is only used in Spain)
So for your update. Yes they are wrong.
You would use "me gusto" to indicate that you liked something. Me gusta is basically I like it.
Ehm, you can use "gusto" on this case:
Spanish
-Esa mujer sólo me ignora... creo que no le gusto 
English
-That girl is just ignoring me... I think I don't like her 
You would use "me gusto" to indicate that you liked something.
to indicate that you liked something you must use "Me gustó" 
(remember the stress in the "o")
