Gustar

Me gusta la pizza.What does this mean in English?

If you said, “I like pizza,” that is a good

translation. BUT it’s not quite exact.

Before we get to that, I have one more question…

Me gusta la pizza.My question is: What is the subject of this

sentence?

If you said the subject is I, that is a good answer

IF you are thinking in English.

In the sentence I like pizza, ask yourself who likes pizza.

Clearly, the answer is “I”… BUT

Me gusta la pizza.We already said that this sentence does not

exactly translate to “I like pizza.” So, your next question might be, “then what

does it actually mean?”Before we answer that, what if I tell you that

the subject of the sentence is pizza?Now can you guess?Let’s start with the word “pizza.”

PIZZA…

Me gusta la pizza.You guessed it!Pizza is pleasing to me.Obviously, no one would talk like this in English. That’s why “I like pizza” is a better translation,

even though it’s not quite exact. Having said that, how would you say: I like

chocolates in Spanish? Before you translate it, rephrase it. If you said “Chocolate is pleasing to me,” you are

PARTIALLY correct.

I like chocolates.Can you guess the mistake?That’s right! The subject is plural. Let’s try again:

Instead of “chocolate IS pleasing to me,”

the literal translation is: “chocolates ARE pleasing to me.”

Now let’s try it in Spanish…

Chocolates are pleasing to me.If you said, “Me gusta los chocolates,” you

made the same mistake that we just made in English.

Remember, the word “chocolates” is plural.So…Gustar has to agree with chocolates. So… It would be…

Me GUSTAN los chocolates.

Let’s make it harder…Try this again first. Can you remember?

1. I like pizza.

(A mí) me gusta la pizza. 2. You like pizza. (a friend) (A ti) te gusta la pizza. 3. He likes pizza.(A él) le gusta la pizza. 4. They like pizza. (A ellos) les gusta la pizza. 5. We like pizza.(A nosotros) nos gusta la pizza.6. You like pizza. (a stranger) (A usted) le gusta la pizza.

7. You guys like pizza.(A ustedes) les gusta la pizza. 8. I like chocolates.(A mí) me gustan los chocolates.9. You like chocolates. (a friend)(A tí) te gustan los chocolates.10. She like chocolates.(A ella) le gustan los chocolates.11. We like chocolates. (A nosotros) nos gustan los chocolates.12. They like pizza. (the girls)(A ellas) les gusta la pizza.13. You guys like pizza. (A Uds.) les gusta la pizza.14. He likes chocolates. (A él) le gustan los chocolates.

İBonito trabajo!

I like the beach.I like the beach.

In English:

• “I” is the subject

• “like” is the verb

• “the beach” is the direct object

En español:

• “the beach” is the subject

• “to please” is the verb

• “me” is the indirect object

En Español…:The word order is actually “backwards”:

• The indirect object comes first: Me

• Then the verb: gusta

• Finally the subject of the verb: la playa

• Make it negative by adding “no” at the beginning.

¿Cómo se dice?

“I like coffee.”

“Coffee is pleasing to me.”

el café.gustaMe

¿Cómo se dice?“You like cars.”

“Cars are pleasing to you.”

los coches.gustanTe

¿Cómo se dice?

“He doesn’t like to dance.”

“To dance is not pleasing to him.”

bailar.gustaNo le

¿Cómo se dice?

“We like our teachers.”

“Our teachers please us.”

nuestros profesores.

gustanNos

¿Cómo se dice?

“You (guys) don’t like to go to the movies.”

“To go to the movies is not pleasing to you (guys).”

ir al cine.gustaNo os

¿Cómo se dice?

“They like history and spanish.”

“History and Spanish are pleasing to them.”

la historia y el español.

gustanLes

¿Cómo se dice en español?¿Cómo se dice en español?

I like to study.

Elena likes to watch television.

We don’t like to do homework.

Carlos and Miguel like cars.

Do you guys like to look at photos?

You like to go shopping, right?

Me gusta estudiar.

(A Elena) le gusta ver la televisión.

No nos gusta hacer la tarea.

(A Carlos y a Miguel) les gustan los coches.

¿Os gusta mirar fotos?

Te gusta ir de compras, ¿verdad?