When to use "a" with gustar

Question

Hola todos! Tengo una pregunta sobre gustar. I know that I have to use a reflexive pronoun before gusta or gustan. Gusta is for singular things and actions. Gustan is for plural things, many things. A verb that follows gusta or gustan needs to be an infinitive. So the only thing that confuses me is using it in a sentence, question, and answer. Would these sentences be correct?

Me gusta la pizza. I like pizza.

¿Ella le gusta la pizza también? Does she like pizza too?

No, ella no le gusta la pizza. No, she does not like pizza.

I noticed sometimes people use "a" at the beginning of a sentence. Would someone explain WHEN (question, answer, not answering a question) to use "a"? Example: A ella le gusta la pizza. Pizza is pleasing to her.

Also, would I need "a" in this sentence? Yo sé que a ella le gusta comer pizza" I know that she does not like pizza.

I'm sorry if my question is confusing. It's kind of hard to explain. Well, thank you!

Answer 1

In the case of gustar, the subject of the sentence is the thing(s) doing the pleasing, and the indirect object is the person(s) doing the pleasing. IE it is pleasing to her. When you express an indirect object, the object has an “a”, and it is incorrect without it. The indirect object pronoun is always necessary, even though it seems redundant to English speakers when to indirect object is named>

So:

Me gusta la pizza. (The) pizza is pleasing to me= I like (the) pizza. Me as an indirect object pronoun does not require an a.

Le gusta la pizza. He likes (the) pizza.

A Pedro le gusta la pizza. Pedro requires an a, as an object. Even though you name him, you still must include the pronoun le that “redundantly” refers to him. To Pedro (to him) (the) pizza is pleasing. Here a Pedro identifies who it is referring to.

A mí me gusta la pizza. This addition of A mí solely serves as emphasis.

A ella le gusta la pizza. Same- only emphasizes she.

Ella by itself, without a, is always wrong, as would any name, or basically anything that is the recipient of the action that is not a simple indirect object pronoun.

As for the subject and conjugating to that: Infinitive will always be singular, nouns go with the first part:

Le gusta bailar y nadir.

Le gusta el gato y el perro.

Le gustan los gatos y el perro.

Le gusta el perro y los gatos.

This is because the verb is mentally carried through:

Le gusta el perro y (le gustan) los gatos. But you drop the part in parentheses.

Your patience exceeds that of Job. - Daniela2041, May 19, 2016

I have learned a good part of what I know reading what answers people kindly gave to other people (not me). I always consider the wider audience. :) - bosquederoble, May 19, 2016

Thank you so much for the amount of time you spent to write this!! So simple indirect object pronouns include me, te, nos, and os? - Ramonaspiker, May 19, 2016

Ella le gusta pizza is wrong. A ella le gusta pizza is correct? - Ramonaspiker, May 19, 2016

Yes. You must include the "a" with ella in this case, because it is not the subject of the sentence, it is the indirect object. :) - bosquederoble, May 19, 2016

Ella must either be the subject, or have a preposition in front of it, at least from what I can think of write now. - bosquederoble, May 19, 2016

Now you can say "a él le gusta ella" and here ella is the subject- she is pleasing to him (as in he has the hots for her, be careful with that type of usage). :) - bosquederoble, May 19, 2016

Sorry, I meant right now. Bad usage of a homophone above. :) - bosquederoble, May 19, 2016

Great. Thanks!! Also, would I need "a" in this sentence? Yo sé que a ella le gusta comer pizza" I know that she does not like pizza - Ramonaspiker, May 19, 2016

And how do I ask questions with gustar? If I wanted to say does she like pizza, would I say "¿A ella le gusta pizza?". - Ramonaspiker, May 19, 2016

Your first says- I know that she likes to eat pizza. Looks okay though. In the second you must have the article for pizza. It always has to be a ella le gusta la pizza. - bosquederoble, May 20, 2016

Doesn't matter if you are talking about the pizza she just had, or all pizza in general. :) - bosquederoble, May 20, 2016

Ok thanks!! If I said yo sé que ella le gusta comer pizza, it would be incorrect? - Ramonaspiker, May 20, 2016

yes, you need a before ella. :) - bosquederoble, May 20, 2016

Thank you! How about nosotros and vosotros? - Ramonaspiker, May 20, 2016

Yes, they need an a as well. :) - bosquederoble, May 20, 2016

Thanks! :) Final question for today: if I wanted to say My sister likes sleeping, would I say "A mi hermana le gusta durmiendo"? - Ramonaspiker, May 20, 2016

Why would you use a gerundio, when in your original question you stated you knew to use an infinitive? - bosquederoble, May 20, 2016

Because the verb is gustar and the subject is the gerundio. Sleeping isn't a verb in this sentence right? It's a noun? - Ramonaspiker, May 20, 2016

The gerundio in Spanish cannot be used as a noun. They use the infinitive instead. This is a difference between the languages that must be remembered. - bosquederoble, May 20, 2016

Ok thank you. - Ramonaspiker, May 20, 2016

Answer 2

You use "a" when you talk specifically about someone, like" A ellos les gusta la pizza (they like pizza) A ella le gusta bailar (she enjoy dancing, not very sure if is written correctly), you can also say this like, "Ella disfruta bailar" A mí no me gusta bailar (I don't like dancing) Le di de comer A mi perro a las 6pm (I fed my dog at 6pm) Also applies (not sure of the word) when you talk abou a specific hour. Te veo A las 6pm (See you AT 6pm

Ok thank you very much!! - Ramonaspiker, May 20, 2016

If I said we like pizza or you all like pizza do I say, " a nosotros nos gusta la pizza and a vosotros os gusta la pizza? - Ramonaspiker, May 20, 2016

That sounds like Spanish from Spain, a bit different of Mexican Spanish. If is as I said, It's okay. Just change "the" for "y" - EleRo, May 20, 2016

A nosotros nos gusta la pizza, ¿a ustedes les gusta la pizza? - EleRo, May 20, 2016

In english would be "we like pizza, do you like it" wait for the answer of someone else, I could be wrong. - EleRo, May 20, 2016

"we like pizza, do you also like it?" Está podría ser otra traducción, pero esperemos la opinión de alguien más. - EleRo, May 20, 2016

Ok. Thanks a lot! It' so only tú and yo that I don't need the "a" - Ramonaspiker, May 20, 2016

It's only* - Ramonaspiker, May 20, 2016