Conjugation of gustar

Question

Is it me gusto or me gustan? In the grammar it is written as Me gustan

"Me gusto" means "I'm pleasing to me", which doesn't really work. - HackerKing, Jan 25, 2013

Answer 1

Gustar and verbs like it can be very confusing at times. Most of the time, you see this verb in the third person singular or plural. As has been mentioned, it is used with a direct object pronoun, in that something is pleasing to me, them, you, or us. The verb is conjugated to agree with the thing liked, either singular or plural.

When you are talking of people liking or being liked, it can become much more complex. For example, "me gustas" conjugates the verb in the second person, you please, or are pleasing. So the literal interpretation is "you are pleasing to me". This is more loosely interpreted as "I like you" or even "I love you".

Occaisionally, you see it used in the first person. "Te gusto" would mean "I am pleasing to you", or less literally, "You like me".

What it all boils down to is that you must analyze who or what is doing the liking, and to whom or what that liking is directed to.

So , if I understand "Me no gustaamos" would be "They don't like me" or "Don't they like me? - PeterRS, Jan 26, 2013

"No me gustamos" would be "We are not pleasing to me", or something like "I don't like us". To say "They don't like me" you need "I am not pleasing to them", or "No les gusto". This is something machine translators very rarely get right. - Noetol, Jan 27, 2013

Answer 2

Gustar = to be pleasing

Me = to me

Me gusta = it pleases me/it's pleasing to me

Gustar works backwards. It doesn't describe you, but somethings effect on you.

Me gusta leer (reading pleases me)

Me gustó la película (the movie pleased me)

"I like" is a translation from English that fits, but it's a translation at the end of the day.

Answer 3

"Me gusta" if the thing you like is singular. "Me gustan" if the things you like are plural.