like

gustar

como

like(layk)

transitive verb

1. (to find pleasant)

a. gustar

I like getting up early.

Me gusta madrugar.

2. (to prefer)

a. gustar

I like anchovies on my pizza.

Me gusta la pizza con anchoas.

3. (to get on well with)

a. caer bien

I have known John for years and I really like him.

Hace años que conozco a John y me cae muy bien.

4. (to be attracted to)

a. gustar

I really like you. Will you go to the dance with me?

Me gustas mucho. ¿Me acompañas al baile?

intransitive verb

5. (to desire)

a. querer

The queen can do as she likes.

La reina puede hacer lo que quiera.

preposition

6. (similar to)

a. como

That guy has a car just like mine.

Ese chico tiene un coche como el mío.

7. (similarly)

a. como

Act like a professional.

Compórtate como un profesional.

8. (such as)

a. como

Volunteers did different jobs like sewing, cooking, and cleaning.

Los voluntarios realizaban distintos trabajos, como coser, cocinar y limpiar.

adjective

9. (similar)

a. parecido

Just try to find like people to socialize with.

Intenta encontrar a gente parecida a ti con quien alternar.

adverb

10. (comparable)

a. como

The movie version of the musical was nothing like watching it live.

La versión de cine del musical no era tan bueno como la versión en vivo.

11.

(colloquial)

(used as a filler or in reported speech)

a.

no direct translation

I, like, bumped into him when I least expected it.

Pues yo me encontré con él cuando menos me lo esperaba.

When she told me that she was divorcing her husband, I was like, "Why is she telling me this?"

Cuando me dijo que se iba a divorciar de su marido, yo pensé: "¿Por qué me está diciendo esto?"

noun

12. (telecommunications)

a. el me gusta

(M)

How many likes did your video get?

¿Cuántos me gusta te pusieron en el video?

13. (similiar person or thing)

a.

no direct translation

I don't think we'll be seeing the likes of Mozart and Beethoven again!

¡No me imagino que se volverán a ver tipos como Mozart o Beethoven!

We've never had their like around these parts before.

Nunca se vio gente así por estas partes.

like

Noun

1. (general)

a.

likespreferencias fpl

likes and dislikespreferencias y aversiones fpl

transitive verb

2. (in general)

a.

she likes him/itle gusta

she likes themle gustan

she likes Johnle cae bien John

I don't like him/itno me gusta

I don't like themno me gustan

they like him/itles gusta

they like each otherse gustan

do you like Italian food?¿te gusta la comida italiana?

she likes readingle gusta leer

she is well likedes muy querida (por todo el mundo)

I like to think my father would have agreedme gusta pensar que mi padre habría estado de acuerdo

he doesn't like people to talk about itno le gusta que la gente hable de ello

3. (fam ironic)

a.

well, I like that!¿qué te parece?, ¡tiene gracia la cosa!

4. (want)

a. querer

what would you like?¿qué quieres? ¿qué se te antoja?

would you like a cigarette?¿quieres un cigarrillo?

I would very much like to gome encantaría ir

I would like to know whether…me gustaría saber si…

I would like nothing better than…nada me gustaría más que…

you can't always do just as you like!¡no puedes hacer siempre lo que te dé la gana!

he thinks he can do anything he likesse cree que puede hacer lo que quiera

if you likesi quieres

when you likecuando quieras

as much/often/many as you liketanto/tan a menudo/tantos como quieras

I didn't like to mention itno quise mencionarlo

Copyright © 2006 Harrap Publishers Limited

like [laɪk]

adjective

(similar) parecido; semejante

snakes, lizards and like creatures serpientes (f), lagartos (m) y criaturas (f) parecidas or semejantes

his duties included providing information for delegates, seeing that all required materials were available and like matters

to be of like mind tener ideas afines

she and a group of friends of like mind ella y un grupo de amigos con ideas afines; he was very intolerant towards people not of a like mind era muy intransigente con las personas que no le daban la razón

his friends at home were of like mind he could be very intolerant toward those not of a like mind he and a little group of cultured persons of like mind began to prepare plans for a great Exhibition

they are as like as two peas (in a pod) se parecen como dos gotas de agua

two birds of like genus

preposition

1 (similar to) como

what's he like? ¿cómo es (él)?; you know what she's like ya la conoces; ya sabes cómo es; what's Spain like? ¿cómo es España?; what's the weather like? ¿qué tiempo hace?; a house like mine una casa como la mía; una casa parecida a la mía; I found one like it encontré uno parecido or igual; she was like a sister to me fue (como) una hermana para mí; we heard a noise like someone sneezing nos pareció oír a alguien estornudar; oímos como un estornudo

do you have any idea what it's like to be poor? what was it like growing up in Hillsborough? nothing like it had happened before "have you had an argument?" - "no, (it's) nothing like that" what's the coat like? eyes like stars it tastes like vinegar

I never saw anything like it nunca he visto cosa igual or semejante

what's he like as a teacher? ¿qué tal es como profesor?

to be like sth/sb parecerse a algo/algn; ser parecido a algo/algn

you're so like your father (in looks, character) te pareces mucho a tu padre; eres muy parecido a tu padre; this portrait is not like him en este retrato no parece él

they are very like each other

it was more like a prison than a house se parecía más a una cárcel que a una casa

the figure is more like 300 la cifra se acerca más bien a 300

she's more like 30 than 25

why can't you be more like your sister? ¿por qué no aprendes de tu hermana?; that's more like it! ¡así está mejor!; ¡así me gusta!

come on, pick your feet up and walk properly - that's more like it! a fillet steak and a bottle of wine - now that's more like it!

there's nothing like real silk no hay nada como la seda natural

something like that algo así; algo por el estilo

"when exactly would this be - Monday?" - "something like that" he's called Middlewick, or something like that

I was thinking of giving her something like a doll pensaba en regalarle algo así como una muñeca; pensaba en regalarle una muñeca o algo por el estilo; they earn something like £50,000 a year ganan alrededor de 50.000 libras al año

people like that can't be trusted esa clase or ese tipo de gente no es de fiar

feel look smell sound taste

2 (typical of)

it's not like him to do that no es propio de él hacer eso; isn't it just like him! ¡no cambia!; ¡eso es típico de él!; (it's) just like you to grab the last cake! ¡qué típico que tomes or cojas tú el último pastelito!; (Esp)

how like him to refuse to accept payment

3 (similarly to) como

he thinks like us piensa como nosotros; like me, he is fond of Brahms igual que a mí, le gusta Brahms

he, like me, thinks that like a fool, I asked him back to the house the news spread like wildfire

she behaved like an idiot se comportó como una idiota

just like anybody else igual que cualquier otro

like this/that así

it wasn't like that no fue así; no ocurrió así; I'm sorry to intrude on you like this siento importunarte de este modo; stop pacing like that deja de dar vueltas; he got up and left, just like that se levantó y se marchó, así, sin más

it happened/it was like this, I'd just got home...

like father like son de tal palo tal astilla

anything crazy hell mad

4 (such as) como

large cities like New York las grandes urbes como Nueva York; the basic necessities of life, like food and drink las necesidades básicas de la vida, como la comida y la bebida

there are many hobbies you might take up, like painting, gardening and so on he could say things like "let's go for a walk" in French

adverb

1 (comparable)

on company advice, well, orders, more like siguiendo los consejos de la empresa, bueno, más bien sus órdenes

it's nothing like as hot as it was yesterday no hace tanto calor como ayer, ni mucho menos

£500 will be nothing like enough 500 libras no serán suficientes, ni mucho menos

it's nothing like as bad as it looks that hat's nothing like as nice as this one

2 (likely)

(as) like as not

they'll be down the pub (as) like as not lo más probable es que estén en el bar

they'd come and bring their neighbours, like as not he'll like enough stop in again tonight I found this money, like we skidded across the road and like hit this tree I decided that I'd, like, go and take a picture of him in the shower

conjunction

1 (as) como

like we used to (do) como solíamos (hacer); do it like I do hazlo como yo; it's just like I say es como yo digo (informal)

we really were afraid, not like in the cinema

to tell it like it is decir las cosas como son

you can't help but admire someone who has the guts to tell it like it is the scenes of Raynor injecting himself are sickening and his drug withdrawal sequence is harrowing, but no one can blame Rush for telling it like it is

2 (as if) como si

he behaved like he was afraid se comportaba como si tuviera miedo; you look like you've seen a ghost parece que acabas de ver un fantasma

he felt like he'd won the pools his arms looked like they might snap under the weight of his gloves

noun

we shall not see his like again no volveremos a ver otro igual

the exchange was done on a like-for-like basis el intercambio se hizo basándose en dos cosas parecidas

did you ever see the like (of it)? ¿has visto cosa igual?

an epidemic the like of which we have never seen in this century technological advances the like of which the world had previously only dreaned of the likes of him

I've no time for the likes of him no soporto a la gente como él

posh hotels are not for the likes of you and me she rubs shoulders with the likes of Princess Diana why would somebody like her want to spend an evening with the likes of me?

sparrows, starlings and the like or and such like gorriones, estorninos y otras aves por el estilo

you can add salmon, sardines, tuna and the like many students are also keeping fit through jogging, aerobics, weight-training and the like

to compare like with like comparar dos cosas semejantes

companies are not homogeneous animals - it is difficult to compare like with like you have to make sure you're comparing like with like his theory does not work because it does not compare like with like jams in transparent containers where the customer can compare like with like in the shop

like attracts like Dios los cría y ellos se juntan

in terms of the mating game, like seeks like one theory about love that nearly all of us can relate to is that of like attracting like the homeopathic maxim: like cures like

like [laɪk]

transitive verb

1 (find pleasant)

object, activity, place

I like dancing/football me gusta bailar/el fútbol; I like bright colours me gustan los colores vivos; which do you like best? ¿cuál es el que más te gusta?; your father won't like it esto no le va a gustar a tu padre; I like oysters but they don't like me me gustan las ostras pero no me sientan muy bien; we like it here nos gusta este sitio; I like him me cae bien or simpático; I don't like him at all me resulta antipático; no me cae nada bien; I've come to like him le he llegado a tomar or coger cariño; (Esp) don't you like me just a little bit? ¿no me quieres un poquitín?; you know he likes you very much sabes que te tiene mucho cariño or que te quiere mucho

I don't think they like each other creo que no se caen bien

I don't like the look of him no me gusta su aspecto; no me gusta la pinta que tiene (informal)

I like your nerve! ¡qué frescura!; ¡qué cara tienes!

I liked him as soon as I saw him she is someone I like and admire I like that hat

well, I like that! ¡será posible!; ¡habráse visto!

untidy? I like that! - their place is like a pigsty!

she is well liked here aquí se la quiere mucho

2 (feel about)

how do you like Cadiz? ¿qué te parece Cádiz?; how do you like it here? ¿qué te parece este sitio?; how would you like to go to the cinema? ¿te apetece or se te antoja ir al cine?; (LAm) how would you like it if somebody did the same to you? ¿cómo te sentirías si alguien te hiciera lo mismo?; how do you like that! I've been here five years and he doesn't know my name ¡qué te parece!, llevo cinco años trabajando aquí y no sabe ni cómo me llamo

how do you like him? we'll go to Paris! - how would you like that? how do you like that? ¿qué te parece?

3 (have a preference for)

I like my whisky neat me gusta el whisky solo; this plant doesn't like sunlight a esta planta no le gusta la luz

how do you like your steak?

I like to know the facts before I form opinions me gusta conocer los hechos antes de formarme una opinión; I like to be obeyed me gusta que me obedezcan; she likes him to be home by ten le gusta que esté en casa antes de las diez; I like to think I'm not prejudiced creo que no tengo prejuicios; I like to think of myself as a humanitarian me considero una persona humanitaria

At this time of year I like to get all our summer clothes washed he likes to appear prosperous they like to quote John Kennedy's inaugural address I like to drink at least 2 litres of water a day I like to get the job done without fuss and go home she doesn't like him drinking so much I like to [believe] that I like to believe my experience counts for something I like to think we give firm but caring advice

4 (want)

I didn't like to say no no quise decir que no; (because embarrassed) me dio vergüenza decir que no

take as much as you like toma or coge todo lo que quieras

he thinks he can do as he likes cree que puede hacer lo que quiera; cree que puede hacer lo que le de la gana (informal)

whether he likes it or not le guste o no (le guste); quiera o no (quiera)

like it or not, our families make us what we are we're going to have to spend the night here whether we like it or not

whenever you like cuando quieras

she can do what she likes with him he can say what he likes - I won't change my mind would you like to tell me what happened? I thought of asking him but I didn't like to

5

would/should like

(specific request, offer, desire)

would you like a drink? ¿quieres tomar algo?; I'd like you to do it quiero que lo hagas; would you like me to wait? ¿quiere que espere?; I'd or I would or (formal) I should like an explanation quisiera una explicación; me gustaría que me dieran una explicación; I'd like to think we're still friends quisiera creer que todavía somos amigos; I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you all quisiera aprovechar esta oportunidad para darles las gracias a todos; I'd like the roast chicken, please (me trae) el pollo asado, por favor; I'd like three pounds of tomatoes, please (me da) tres libras de tomates, por favor

I should like to know why I should like some more time to consider this I should like to have a better look when there's more time to study it I'd like (to take) a few days off, if that's possible would you like cream in your coffee? I should like more time we'd like a double room for three nights would you like to go to Seville?

(wishes, preferences)

I'd like a bigger flat me gustaría tener un piso más grande; he'd like to have met her le hubiera gustado conocerla

I should like to have been there I should have liked to be there me hubiera gustado estar allí

they'd like to live in a warmer climate

intransitive verb

querer

as you like como quieras

"I think I'd better go now" - "as you like" [if] you like

"shall we go now?" — "if you like" —¿nos vamos ya? —si quieres

a cat or, if you like, a feline come on Sunday if you like you can stay here if you like

likes (n) gustos (m)

it also gives them the opportunity to share their perceptions about school, their likes, talents, hobbies

likes and dislikes aficiones (f) y fobias or manías; cosas (f) que gustan y cosas que no

he has distinct likes and dislikes where food is concerned con respecto a la comida tiene claras preferencias or sabe muy bien lo que le gusta y lo que no (le gusta)

I shan't be here when he takes over, so my likes and dislikes hardly matter this is not an occasion to show your likes and dislikes in a public way this is a critical age when children start to grow permanent teeth and develop likes and dislikes

Verb"Gustar" better avoided

While gustar is one of the main ways of translating like, its use is not always appropriate. Used to refer to people, it may imply sexual attraction. Instead, use expressions like caer bien or parecer/resultar simpático/agradable. These expressions work like gustar and need an indirect object:

I like Francis very much Francis me cae muy bien or me parece muy simpático or agradable

She likes me, but that's all (A ella) le caigo bien, pero nada más

Like + verb

Translate to like doing sth and to like to do sth using gustar + infinitive:

Doctors don't like having to go out to visit patients at night A los médicos no les gusta tener que salir a visitar pacientes por la noche

My brother likes to rest after lunch A mi hermano le gusta descansar después de comer

Translate to like sb doing sth and to like sb to do sth using gustar + que + subjunctive:

My wife likes me to do the shopping A mi mujer le gusta que haga la compra

I don't like Irene living so far away No me gusta que Irene viva tan lejos

"How do you like ...?"

Use qué + parecer to translate how do/did you like when asking someone's opinion:

How do you like this coat? ¿Qué te parece este abrigo?

How did you like the concert? ¿Qué te ha parecido el concierto?

But use cómo + gustar when using how do you like more literally:

How do you like your steak? ¿Cómo le gusta la carne?

Would like

When translating would like, use querer with requests and offers and gustar to talk about preferences and wishes:

Would you like a glass of water? ¿Quiere un vaso de agua?

What would you like me to do about the tickets? ¿Qué quieres que haga respecto a los billetes?

I'd very much like to go to Spain this summer Me gustaría mucho ir a España este verano

Literal translations of I'd like are better avoided when making requests in shops and restaurants. Use expressions like the following:

I'd like steak and chips ¿Me pone un filete con patatas fritas?, (Yo) quiero un filete con patatas fritas

like