Gustar - you can't like someone, unless it's "liking" them? I need explanations

Question

So I just returned from dinner with my mom, and she says "Denos alguien que no nos gusta así que no necesitamos dejar propina." is wrong because you can't use gustar to mean just the normal "Hey I like that guy" meaning. Is this wrong? Gracias. Her take "Denos alguien que no nos cae bien así que no necesitamos dejar propina". I use caer bien/gordo but I thought gustar could work. Thoughts. PS all the dinner was in Spanish, well most of it. Yeah Jeezzle.

I'll let someone more fluent answer this question. But all I have to say is...your mother speaks Spanish?......not fair!!!!! Actually, that is a great advantage for you Jeezzle! :) - Nicole-B, ABR 20, 2010

Answer 1

Yeah Jeezle

I agree with your mom. I've always heard that "gustar" can always carry "romantic" overtones when refering to a person, which kind of makes sense since it really means "to please". Now, whether or not this is absolutely true or whether it's just much safer to assume that it is so that you won't be misunderstood, I'm not sure.

I do know that, for instance, you never ever want to say to your friend: "Me gusta tu esposa." Your wife pleases me. I like your wife.

"Tu esposa me cae bien." would be so much more appropriate.

Él me cae mal. = I don't like him.

Él me cae muy mal. = I really don't like him.

Él me cae gordo. = I really don't like him. (I think that this is a little more "slangy" and possibly a bit worse than "mal")

Él me da mala espina. = I have a bad feeling about him.

Él no me gusta. = I don't like him (in a romantic way). He doesn't please me.

Él me da mala espina? He gives me a bad bone? ;) Is that used a lot? I like it. - jeezzle, ABR 20, 2010

Answer 2

Él me da mala espina? He gives me a bad bone? Is that used a lot? I like it.

I've heard it used on several occasions. It's also in the SD dictionary "me da mala espina (informal) -> it makes me uneasy, there's something fishy about it" Someone also pointed it out as an option on a phrase of the day post recently for "esto huele a chamusquina"

I first heard it while chatting with the 14 year old son of a Mexican friend of mine.

He said: El novio de mi mamá me da mala espina.

I said: ¿Por qué te cae gordo?

He said: No me cae gordo. Me da mala espina.

He went on to explain that if someone "falls fat" on him then he wouldn't want to see them or even say anything to them but if someone "gives him a bad thorn" then he would be polite to them but not trust them.

good explanation, I would have said the same , mala espina is not the same as cae gordo - 00494d19, ABR 21, 2010

Answer 3

Denos alguien que no nos guste así que no necesitamos dejar propina

Que no nos guste is perfect here.

¿de veras? Tal vez he pasado demasiado tiempo con malpensados :( - alba3, ABR 21, 2010

jeje, en realidad sí.Mira, si digo, Alvite me gusta, me refiero a su manera de escribir, no que me guste como hombre o algo, no es nada del otro mundo decir me gusta, en este caso concreto del camarero sería lo más adecuado, además, no es lo mismo no me - 00494d19, ABR 21, 2010

usta que caer mal, es mucho peor caer mal, pero para eso tiene que haber pasado algun incidente. No me gusta, puede ser por su manera de servir o por su aspecto... - 00494d19, ABR 21, 2010

Creo que entiendo. ¿Pero tengo razón de que no deberías decir "me gusta tu esposa"? Decir eso se puede causar peleas entre unos hombres que he conocido. - alba3, ABR 21, 2010