Gustar & verbs like gustar

Verbs like gustar

Observe these examples with the verb gustar, their English equivalent, and their literal meaning:

​Me gusta ese champú

​English equivalent:

I like that shampoo.

​Literal meaning:

That shampoo is pleasing to me.

​¿Te gustaron las clases?

​English equivalent:

Did you like the classes?

​Literal meaning:

Were the classes pleasing to you?

Constructions with GUSTAR do not have a direct equivalent in English.

​The literal meaning of the verb construction with GUSTAR is to be pleasing to (someone), and it requires the use of an:
INDIRECT OBJECT PRONOUN:

​me	​nos
te​	​X
le​	les​

​In the Spanish sentence,
the object being liked (ese champú) is really the subject of the sentence. The person who likes the object, in turn, is an indirect object because it answers the question: To whom is the shampoo pleasing?

​Indirect

Object

Pronoun

Verb

Subject

Subject

I

Verb

like

DIRECT OBJECT

that shampoo.

​ANATOMY OF A SENTENCE WITH GUSTAR:

​Me

​gusta

​ese champú

​Other verbs in Spanish are used the same way as gustar. List of the most common ones:

​VERBS LIKE GUSTAR

• aburrir - to bore

• encantar - to like very much; to love (inanimate objects)

• faltar - to lack; to need

• fascinar - to fascinate; to like very much

• importar - to be important to;

  ​ to matter

• interesar - to be interesting to;

  to interest

• molestar - to bother; to annoy

• ​quedar - to be left over; to fit (clothing)

​(write them down!)

Multiple Choice

The verb that means: to fit (clothing)

• aburrir

• importar

• quedar

• faltar

Multiple Choice

The verb that means: to matter

• quedar

• importar

• interesar

• encantar

Multiple Choice

The verb that means: to like

• encantar

• faltar

• fascinar

• gustar

Multiple Select

The verb that means: to like VERY much.

• encantar

• aburrir

• faltar

• fascinar

Multiple Choice

The verb that means: to bother

• encantar

• molestar

• interesar

• faltar

Multiple Choice

The verb that means: to interest

• importar

• interesar

• fascinar

• aburrir

Multiple Choice

The verb that means: to bore

• aburrir

• encantar

• faltar

• importar

Multiple Choice

The verb that means: to lack

• importar

• faltar

• fascinar

• encantar

​Most commonly used forms of gustar
& similar verbs are:
The third person singular & plural forms

• ​The singular form (gusta) is used when followed by a singular noun or an infinitive.

• The plural form (gustan) is used when followed by plural nouns.

​Ejemplos:

(me, te, le, nos, les) encanta la película.
(me, te, le, nos, les) encanta ver películas.

​​​(me, te, le, nos, les) encantan las vacaciones.

​(Write this down!)

Multiple Choice

Me gusta ______________ .

• el helado

• los helados

Multiple Choice

Les fascinan ____________.

• la película

• las películas

Multiple Choice

No me gusta __________.

• la leche

• los refrescos

​To express what someone likes or does not like to do use:

Verb (like gustar) + an infinitive.

• ​The singular form is used even if there is more than one infinitive.

​

​Nos molesta comer a las nueve. It bothers us to eat at nine o'clock.

​

​Les encanta bailar y cantar. They love to dance and sing.

a + (pronoun):
a mí, a ti, a usted, a él, etc... or

a + (noun):
a los chicos, al profesor, etc..

• ​Is used to clarify or to emphasize who is pleased, bored, etc...

​(A + noun) =
A los turistas les gustó mucho Machu Pichu. The tourists liked Machu Pichu a lot.

​

​(A + pronoun) =
A ti te gusta cenar en casa, pero a mí me aburre. You like eating dinner at home, but I get bored.

​

​

​** ATENCIÓN:
Mí (me) has an accent mark to distinguish it from the possessive adjective mi (my)

​Study the graphic (no need to write notes from this slide)

• ​The green in parte 1 is used to clarify "who" (a + pronoun /noun)

• ​The salmon, to make the sentence negative.

• ​The light yellow, the indirect object pronoun "who is pleased" (os is X)

• ​The pink, the verb (third person singular or plural)

• ​The blue, an infinitive or a singular noun, following the singular form of the verb OR A plural noun following the plural form.