No lo gustaba

Question

Hola. Can someone please tell me if this is okay. I want to say "I bought a gift for Fer, but he didn't like it".

Le compré un regalo a Fer, pero no lo gustaba.

Gracias

Answer 1

Le compré un regalo a Fer, pero no lo gustaba.

I would have said "no le gustaba".

If you meant lo to refer to the gift, the gift is the subject of gustaba, and is not needed at all (lo would be wrong anyway- it is direct object).

If you meant lo to refer to Fer, it should be le, as gustar works with an indirect object. And it is necessary in this sentence.

The gift was not pleasing to him. (That is how to conceptualize it- I know we can say the gift did not please him and make him a DO in English, but that is not how gustar works.)

Again, I am an intermediate level learner, await other thoughts.

Ah, yes of course. That always confuses me. I wondered why I couldn't find instances of "no lo gustaba". Thank you, you are right it should be le gustaba. - escritorafantasma, Mar 1, 2015

:) I think so too. Le. - annierats, Mar 1, 2015

You´re right, however, I would use preterite of "gustar" because here it is a single action that follows a previous action - 005faa61, Mar 1, 2015

Gracias, Julian. :) - bosquederoble, Mar 1, 2015