Lección 7: GUSTAR (to like / literally, to be pleasing)

Present indicative: gusto, gustas, gusta / gustamos, gustáis, gustan

Preterite: gusté, gustaste, gustó / gustamos, gustasteis, gustaron

1) The most commonly used forms of this verb are the 3rd person singular gusta and the 3rd person plural
gustan. [The other forms (e.g., gusto, gustas, gustamos, gustáis), which are not to be studied this time, are
used to express liking for another person or oneself. For example, Tú me gustas = I like you]

2) The verb gustar means to like something or somebody. Gustar, however, is not directly equivalent to the
English to like. Literally, it means to be pleasing. A special construction is required in Spanish to translate
the English to like:

English: I like your coat

Subj. verb direct object

Spanish: Me gusta tu abrigo (literally: Your coat is pleasing to me)

Indirect object verb subject

[*The subject can also be placed at the beginning of the sentence: Tu abrigo me gusta

3) The verb gustar is always used with an indirect object pronoun *(me, te, le, nos, os, les)
*An indirect object pronoun usually tells “to whom” or “for whom” something is pleasing or done.

(prepositional phrase ind. obj. pron. + verb + the thing(s) being liked
provides clarification
or emphasis—optional)

(A mí) me la casa azul (singular)

(A ti) te *gusta nadar (an action, verb)
(A él, ella, Ud.) [no] le + patinar y bailar (or 2 verbs)
(A nosotros/as) nos
(A vosotros/as) os *gustan esos zapatos ( plural)
(A ellos, ellas, Uds) les las fiestas (plural)

*note that gustar agrees in number with the thing(s) being liked, not with the person. Thus, always use
the singular GUSTA if what is being liked is, a) singular, b) a verb or two verbs; and always use GUSTAN if
the reference is to the plural. And use the indirect object pronoun, NOT the subject pronouns (yo, tú,
Ud./él/ella, nosotros(as), vosotros(as), Uds./ellos/ellas) when referring to whom the thing(s) are pleasing.

* más (more), menos (less), or mucho (very much) follow the verb gustar.
d) ¿(A ti) te gusta más el pantalón negro? ---No, me gustan mucho los pantalones amarillos.
*For your information. The following verbs are also used like gustar (i.e., in the 3rd person singular and plural)
1. caer bien to like (a person)
2. caer mal to dislike (a person)
3. encantar to love (colloquial; lit., to be enchanting)
4. faltar to lack, miss (lit., to be lacking)
5. fascinar to be fascinated by (lit., to be fascinating)
6. hacer falta to need (lit., to be needed)
7. impresionar to be impressed (lit., to impress)
8. interesar to be interested in (lit., to interest)
9. molestar to be a bother (lit., to be bothersome)
10. parecer to seem
11. quedar to have remaining / left over (lit., to be remaining)

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Tarea Workbook: F & G, pp.66-67

I. Fill in the blank with the appropriate indirect object pronoun (me, te, le / nos, os, les) [Answers below]
*Remember that the prepositional phrase (e.g., a mí, a ti, a él, a ella, a Ud. / a nosotros, a vosotros, a ellos, a
ellas, a Uds.) provides clarification or emphasis. It’s not, however, a substitute for the indirect object pronoun.
While the prepositional phrase form can be omitted, the indirect object pronoun must always be used

1. Yo ____________ mandé un mensaje electrónico al profesor, pero él no ___________ contestó. (I sent an

email to the professor, but he did not respond to me)

2. Ella ___________ vendió la computadora a nosotras. (She sold us the computer)

3. ¿Ustedes no ___________ dieron el dinero a mí? (You did not give the money to me?)
--Sí, nosotros __________ dimos el dinero ayer. ¿No te acuerdas? (Yes, we gave the money to you yesterday.
Don’t you remember?)

4. ¿Él _____________ compró helados a vosotros? (Did he buy ice-cream to you (plural, familiar?)
--No, él no ____________ compró nada. (No, he didn’t buy anything to us)

5. Nosostros nunca ____________ escribimos cartas a ellos. (We never write letters to them)

6. Mi hermana __________ habla en español a mí, pero ella __________ habla en francés a mis primos. (My
sister speaks to me in Spanish, but she speaks French to my cousins)

7. ________ di mis libros de biología a Marta, pero no pude dar_________ mi libro de física a Luisa y Alberto
porque los necesito. (I gave my biology books to Marta, but I couldn’t give my physic book to Luisa y Alberto
because I need it)

8. Querida, estoy cocinándo________ un guisado de carne delicioso para ti. (Dear, I’m cooking a delicious
meat stew for you.)
—Pero, a mí no ______ gusta el guisado de carne. ¿Yo no __________ dije a ti que soy vegetariana? (But I
don’t like meat stew/ or, meat stew is not pleasing to me. Didn’t I tell you that I’m vegetarian?
II. Write complete sentences with the elements given
Tell who likes what.

Modelo: —A él / gustar / correr por la mañana.

—A él le gusta correr por la mañana. Roberto likes to run in the morning.

1. A Juan y yo / gustar mucho/ bailar. ______________________________________________.

2. A mí / gustar / las camisas verdes. _________________________________________________.

3. ¿A vosotros / gustar / el jugo de naranja? ______________________________________________.

4. A Rosa y Eduardo / gustar/ ir a esquiar. _______________________________________________.

5. A ti / no gustar / las manzanas (apples). ________________________________________________.

6. A mi cuñada / gustar / las películas alemanas. _____________________________________________.

Respuestas

I. 1. le—me / 2. nos / 3. me—te / 4. os—nos / 5. Les / 6. me—les / 7. le—pude darles / 8. te—me—te

II.1. A Juan y yo (or, A nosotros) nos gusta mucho bailar.

2. A mí me gustan las camisas verdes.
3. A vosotros os gusta el jugo de naranja.
4. A Rosa y Eduardo les gusta esquiar.
5. A ti no te gustan las manzanas.
6. A mi cuñada le gustan las películas alemanas.