Home
Q&A
Like and dislike

Like and dislike

3
votes

¡Hola! smile I watched lesson 1.6. I'm from the Czech Republic and my English isn't very good. "I like to dance" is the same like "I like dancing"? - Me gusta bailar. There is verb gustar and it's endening on -ar, so why not gusto but gusta? And in question ¿Qué te gusta hacer? (It's mean - What do you want to do. -, isn't it?) is also gusta but what about gustas - it's 2nd person. I'm out confused

5518 views
updated Jan 1, 2011
posted by Tomiik
The verb " to like " is one of the English verbs that can be used with the infinitive "I like to dance" or the gerund "I like dancing" they mean the same thing. - ian-hill, Dec 31, 2010
Some English verbs can not be used with a gerund - example "to want" and some are normally used only with a gerund - example " to enjoy" - ian-hill, Dec 31, 2010

5 Answers

2
votes

In English, the following sentences are correct:

I like the room.

We like the books.


Examine the same sentences more closely:

I like the room.

I = subject of sentence

like = verb

the room = direct object

We like the books.

We = subject of sentence

like = verb

the books = direct object


In English, it is correct to construct a sentence that has the subject "liking" a direct object. In Spanish, this never occurs. In Spanish, a different construction is used.

English: I like the room.

Spanish: The room is pleasing to me.

English: We like the books.

Spanish: The books are pleasing to us.


The first thing you need to notice is that both versions really mean the same thing. They are merely different expressions of the same idea.

Idea: My feelings with regard to the book are positive.

English Way: I like the book.

Spanish Way: The book is pleasing to me.


The second thing to notice is that in English, the subject of the sentence is the person (I, we) while in Spanish the subject of the sentence is the object (room, books).

The room is pleasing to me.

Subject: The room

I like the room.

Subject: I


Finally notice that while the English sentence has a direct object, the Spanish sentence has an indirect object.

The room is pleasing to me. me = Indirect Object

I like the room. room = Direct Object


Let's study the following example:

Me gustan los libros.

Literal Translation: To me are pleasing the books.

Actual Translation: I like the books.

Notice that gustar is conjugated as "gustan" not "gusto." A common mistake is to say "Me gusto los libros." This is incorrect because the subject of the sentence is "los libros" even though it comes at the end. Remember, the verb is conjugated to agree with the subject of the sentence.

Me gustan los libros. (I like the books.)


Notice that the conjugation of gustar changes to "gusta" when the subject of the sentence is singular.

Me gusta el libro. (I like the book.)

Since the subject of the sentence must be either singular (book) or plural (books), the only forms of gustar you will use are "gusta" and "gustan." This is true regardless of what IO pronoun appears in the sentence.

Me gusta el libro.

I like the book.

Te gusta el libro.

You like the book.

Nos gusta el libro.

We like the book.

Me gustan los libros.

I like the books.

Te gustan los libros.

You like the books.

Nos gustan los libros.

We like the books.


Remember, gustar becomes either gusta or gustan, depending upon whether the subject of the sentence is singular or plural. It has nothing to do with which IO pronoun is used.

Subject is singular - use gusta

Me gusta el libro.

Te gusta el libro.

Subject is plural - use gustan

Me gustan los libros.

Te gustan los libros.


Remember, the IO pronoun is not the subject of the sentence!

Nos gustamos ... incorrect!

Te gustas ... incorrect!

updated Jan 1, 2011
posted by Seb79
Source: Copied from studyspanish, to try and make it seem simpler to understand as you are not an English speaker - Seb79, Dec 31, 2010
Thank you very mouch.. (: Now I know what i needed.. (: Just one again thank you! (: - Tomiik, Dec 31, 2010
"Te gustas" is correct... if you like yourself. - lazarus1907, Dec 31, 2010
"Nos gustamos." is also correct - We like ourselves/each other. - samdie, Jan 1, 2011
2
votes

Tomiik, I think that "gustar" is used like "líbit se" in Czech. "I like dancing" is constructed like "Líbí se mi tanec" (I'm not sure whether this is correct, but hopefully you get the idea), not "líbím se tanec".

updated Dec 31, 2010
posted by lazarus1907
Yeah.. (: I know what you want to say.. (: And - where are you from? :P - Tomiik, Dec 31, 2010
I'm from Spain, but I don't speak Czech. I just know that all Indo-European languages seem to have a verb like that (English lost it) - lazarus1907, Dec 31, 2010
1
vote

The reason that you do not say gusto, and gustas, etc, is because gustar is actually the verb that means to please. Therefore, you are saying, "dancing pleases me" (me gusta bailar) and "dancing pleases you" (te gusta bailar) and so on. Verbs are conjugated to the subject and in this sentence you are not the subject, dancing is. "To dance" is singular, so gustar becomes "gusta." If the object was plural, it would be "gustan" (me gustan, te gustan, etc).

updated Dec 31, 2010
posted by 0097f7e0
1
vote

Am I correct in thinking that gustó is used in past tense?

¿Te gusta la película?

No me gustó la película : I didn´t like the film

updated Dec 31, 2010
posted by saramallorca
Yes, "gustó" is past tense. - lazarus1907, Dec 31, 2010
Thanks - saramallorca, Dec 31, 2010
1
vote

verbs like gustar

For beginning students the "is pleasing to" explanation usually makes the most sense.

gustas...you are pleasing to; not.... you like. Gustar is not a transitive verb as is to like, but is used in intransitive sentences (no direct object). What would be the direct object in an English to like transitive sentence is the subject in the Spanish intransitive sentence.

updated Dec 31, 2010
posted by 0074b507