Singuar Form vs Plural Form

Question

When do we use the singular form of the verbs encantar,importar,gustar,andinteresarand when do we use the plural?

Answer 1

All verbs are conjugated to the subject.

The subject of gustar is the thing you like (the thing that is pleasing to you)

The subject of encantar is the thing you love (the thing that is enchanting to you)

The subject of interesar is the thing you are interested in (the thing that interests you)

The subject of importar is the thing that is important to you (the thing that matters to you)

So: me gustan las manzanas.

I like apples. Apples are pleasing to me. Although we translate it as the first-if you look at the second, less common in English, way of looking at it, you will get the correct conjugation.

Me interesan los libros de ciencia ficción. Science fiction books are interesting to me.

Me importa este libro. This book is important to me.

An exception often is when the subject split by “y”, because it is seen as 2 separate uses of the verb:

Me gusta nadar y bailar= me gusta nadar y me gusta bailar.

Me gusta el perro y el gato--- Me gustan los dos.

You can use plural with this type of construction if you are treating the two things on either side of the "y" as a single concept, however, if my understanding is correct.

Just keep in mind with this type of verb something is doing something to you- so you conjugate to that something and use me- an object pronoun- not yo- a subject pronoun

I hope I haven’t confused you too much with this. You get used to it once you have done it enough.

:) - FELIZ77, Jul 18, 2014