Should I use gusta or gustan

Question

I want to ask what someone like to do in their free time and I am not sure whether to use "gusta" or "gustan". "?En tu tiempo libre qué cosas te gustan hacer?" I am not sure whether to use "gusta" due to the fact that it is followed by an infinitive or whether I should use "gustan" as I am asking abouts multiple things "cosas". If anyone could help me out that would be great thanks!

Great question! - --Mariana--, Nov 10, 2010

Answer 1

or "Me gustan chocolates", "Chocolates are pleasing to me".

Sorry, but that sentence is unacceptable. Generic subjects in Spanish demand an determinant>

Me gustan los chocolates.

You are absolutely right! Well at least my reason for using gusta vs. gustan was correct! Oops, it's great to make mistakes! - daphne505, Nov 10, 2010

Answer 2

It's gusta in your example sentence because the subject is a noun clause (doing what things)

The sentence in English is:

[In your free time] Doing what things is pleasing to you? Hacer qué cosas is pleasing to you.

If the infinitive (hacer) were not in the sentence it would be gustan. ¿Te gustan qué cosas? Now the subject is qué cosas (plural).

I am wondering if it should be cuáles cosas, but cuál is usually used in lieu of qué when you are choosing from a known collection of choices.

Answer 3

Use gustan because cosas is plural. The direct translation of gustar is to be pleasing, so unlike english the thing that is pleasing is the subject of the sentence, so if you say "Me gusta chocolate", it literally translates to "chocolate is pleasing to me". or "Me gustan chocolates", "Chocolates are pleasing to me".

Answer 4

Hi,

I think it should be "¿Qué cosas te gusta hacer?" Because you don't ask him 'what he likes' you are asking him "what he likes doing".. Thus, you can say that, if there is another verb after "gustar" it should be gusta.

"Te gusta hacer una cosa, te gusta hacer dos cosas. "

Answer 5

you use gusta