" The teacher like to dance"

Question

how to translate the sentence above.

The teacher likes to dance. - hanran, Feb 18, 2010

Answer 1

First I will correct the English, the verb "like" as most verbs in English must add an "s" when used in the singular third person (he, she, it), so your phrase should read:

The teacher likes to dance.

In Spanish we use the verb gustar to express "like" but it has a very special meaning in that the subject of the verb is the thing which is "liked" and the person who "likes" is actually the object.

A la profesora, le gusta bailar.

Literally: To the teacher, dancing is pleasant.

I reccomend searching the answers forum for more information regarding the use of gustar and similar verbs.

Answer 2

The English could also be

"The teachers like to dance." In which case the translation would be "A los profesores, les gusta bailar" or "A las profesoras, les gusta bailar".

Answer 3

I agree wth Iachelvi. You could also say: La profesora le gusta bailar.

Hmm. I don't think so. You need the "A" (personal "A") - CalvoViejo, Feb 18, 2010

Why? - TheSilentHero, Feb 18, 2010

"La profesora" is the object and a person. The sentence could also be "Bailar le gusta a la profesora". It's an odd construction, but grammatically correct. - CalvoViejo, Feb 18, 2010

*nods* True, thanks! - TheSilentHero, Feb 19, 2010