Question about verbs like gustar

Question

I'm not sure how to express my question, but is it redundant to use a direct object pronoun with a verb like 'gustar'? Here is a sample conversation:

Did they like the food? Yes, they loved it!

In this case I don't know if I can just leave the answer like : Les encantó mucho!

or if I need to add a direct object pronoun: Se la encantó mucho

Hope this makes sense, thanks!

Answer 1

Se las encantó is incorrect.

They liked it. Les gustó. (it's possible to emphasize and say Les gustó a ellos)

We liked it. Nos gustó.

I liked it. Me gustó. etc.

Encantar implies mucho so you don't need it.

Polenta: correct me if I'm wrong, but one could say "using mucho with encantar" is considered wrong in Spanish...it is not done by Spanish speakers. - DilKen, Apr 11, 2017

No, you don't say me encantó mucho. Encantó in itself would include the "mucho". If not you would say gustó mucho. - polenta1, Apr 12, 2017

Answer 2

Goyo:

I'll comment on your post below. Feel free to disagree and comment back

You can use a direct object with "verbs like gustar". - Me gustó la fiesta. (We would say, I liked the party, but literally that said "the party appealed to me.)

You are technically right that gustar can have a direct object, but in the above usage, there is no direct object in the Spanish. "La fiesta" is the Spanish subject. "Me" is an indirect object.

You can use an additional indirect object- "A ellos, les encantó mucho". (they loved it a lot, or literally it enchanted them a lot, though you really shouldn't say mucho with encantar)

A ellos is not "an additional indirect object." It is a clarification or emphasis of the indirect object "les." (as I'm sure you know)

I should say here, there is no special class of verbs that are "verbs like gustar". All Spanish verbs work the same, and the sooner you lose the notion of "verbs like gustar" the better.

Some people say this, but for many English speakers, including me, the explanations about "verbs like gustar" are helpful. Some are not very well done and can be unhelpful. I don't know what you mean by "work the same." To me: La amo. (I love her) and Me encanta (ella) work differently and it is helpful to analyze them differently when learning Spanish if your native language is English. (I don't mean, that in this case they mean the same thing, but that the grammatical structure is different)

The reason people put gustar in a special class is that they mistranslate it. It does not mean, "to like"- which is what a person does to a thing. Gustar means "to be appealing" - which is what a thing does for someone.

What something "means" can also refer to how it is normally translated or how the same thoughts or feelings are expressed in both languages. When there is a major difference in grammatical structure between the two it can be helpful for learners to understand these differences. And, as you know, English speakers probably say they "like" something at least 100 times more than they say something is appealing to them.

I'll agree with you about "la fiesta" not being a direct object in "Me gustó la fiesta.". I said that incorrectly. (Though I think that's the idea he wanted.) And your comment about "a ellos" is alsomore precise. It's the same I.O. clarifiied. - Goyo, Apr 11, 2017

However- I stand 100% behind my statement that all Spanish verbs work the same in that we don't have special rules for any of them. - Goyo, Apr 11, 2017

La amo means I love her. Me encanta means she enchants me. They only appear to work differently when you mistranslate encantar as "to love". - Goyo, Apr 11, 2017

And I realize that it somewhat helps English speakers in the short run to see it that way. But that's the problem: they are seeing it as if it were English. - Goyo, Apr 11, 2017

To invent a seperate category of verbs that function differently than the others so that English speakers don't have to think like Spanish speakers is counter-productive in my opinion. - Goyo, Apr 11, 2017

That is- if the goal is to learn Spanish, not pass Spanish tests. If the only goal is to pass Spanish tests, then by all means use the "verbs like gustar" category. - Goyo, Apr 11, 2017

Thanks for your reply. I don't think it is a matter of mistranslation, but we can agree to disagree :) - DilKen, Apr 11, 2017

Answer 3

Hi! You can either say Les gustó mucho or Les encantó, but you shouldn´t combine encantar with mucho.

'Se la encantó mucho' is incorrect - latte_art, Apr 11, 2017

Answer 4

You can use a direct object with "verbs like gustar". - Me gustó la fiesta. (We would say, I liked the party, but literally that said "the party appealed to me.)

You can use an additional indirect object- "A ellos, les encantó mucho". (they loved it a lot, or literally it enchanted them a lot, though you really shouldn't say mucho with encantar)

I should say here, there is no special class of verbs that are "verbs like gustar". All Spanish verbs work the same, and the sooner you lose the notion of "verbs like gustar" the better.

The reason people put gustar in a special class is that they mistranslate it. It does not mean, "to like"- which is what a person does to a thing. Gustar means "to be appealing" - which is what a thing does for someone.

Me gustan las montañas. - Mountains appeal to me.

Me gustó la fiesta. - The party appealed to me.

Goyo: I made some comments about your comments in another reply to this question :) - DilKen, Apr 11, 2017

Thank you. I saw them and commented with my agreement and disagreement. - Goyo, Apr 11, 2017

Answer 5

"Les gustaba/gustó la comida. Es unánime.

Answer 6

I found an old post by Lazarus that some may find interesting. He explains, in one consise post, how various types of verbs are used in Spanish.

Spanish verb constructions

Answer 7

Ah, I forgot to say... You don't like things. Things appeal to you. For that reason, "gustarle a uno".

Una buena explicación :) Hay que saber detectar el sujeto en las oraciones con 'gustar' - latte_art, Apr 11, 2017

Answer 8

I think I see what you are trying to do.

In your sentence: Se la encantó mucho

You are thinking that "la" is the direct object "it" which is standing in for la comida.

Your se is les converted into se to avoid les la.

This isn't what is going on with this structure.

IT is the SUBJECT and it is implied in "encantó" (IT is not explicitly stated, it is included in the conjugated verb (can't do this in English))

Les is the Indirect Object Pronoun representing "they" (or them as I'll explain later)

There is no Direct Object. There cannot be a Direct Object with this usage of encantar as this is an intransitive construction meaning there is no direct object. There is a transitive usage of encantar which is translated as "bewitched" La bruja encantó a la princesa.The witch bewitched the princess.

One way to understand this type of Spanish intransitive verb structure in English is:

The food gave them great pleasure.

It gave them great pleasure.

It = subject, unstated in Spanish

Great Pleasure = direct object, unstated in Spanish (implied by encantar)

Them = les = Indirect Object

to give great pleasure to = encantar

It gave great pleasure to = encantó

Of course, once you learn how various verbs are used in Spanish by lots of reading, listening and writing (and receiving corrections on your writing) you will not have to think of any of this. The sooner you can "think in Spanish" the better. By "think in Spanish" I mean that you are able to say things in Spanish without even thinking about how it would be translated into English. Good luck with your progress.