Gustar and similar verbs
A1Grammar path · Lesson 16 of 86 · Stage A1 · The present tense
You need gustar from your very first lessons to say what you like or dislike. The trick is that it works like 'to please': the thing you like is the subject, and the person is shown by me, te, le, nos, les. So the verb is gusta with one thing or an infinitive, and gustan with several things: Me gusta el té, Me gustan los gatos. Learners often say 'yo gusto', copying English 'I like', but that actually means 'I am liked'. Always start from the pronoun. Verbs like encantar, interesar and doler follow exactly the same pattern.
Practise this lesson · 10 sentences
Form
(a + persona) + me/te/le/nos/les + gusta + sustantivo singular / infinitivo(a + persona) + me/te/le/nos/les + gustan + sustantivo plural(a + persona) + no + me/te/le/nos/les + gusta / gustan + ...¿(a + persona) + te/le/les + gusta / gustan + ...?When to use it
Talking about likes and dislikes
Use gusta with one thing or an infinitive, gustan with several things. Add 'a + person' to make clear who likes it.
Loving or being interested: encantar, interesar
Encantar expresses strong liking and interesar expresses interest. Both agree with the thing talked about, just like gustar.
Pain and annoyance: doler, molestar
Doler says what hurts and molestar says what bothers you. The body part or the annoying thing is the subject.
Gustar: the pronoun shows who likes, the verb agrees with what is liked
Signal words
Don't confuse it with
Frequently asked questions
When do I use gusta and when gustan?
The verb agrees with the thing liked, not with the person. Use gusta for one thing or an infinitive and gustan for several things: Me gustan los libros.
Can I say yo gusto for 'I like'?
No. Yo gusto means 'I am liked' by someone. To say 'I like', use me gusta or me gustan.
With several activities, is it gusta or gustan?
With infinitives, always use gusta, even for several activities: Me gusta leer y cantar.
How do I say 'me too' or 'me neither' with gustar?
Use a mí también to agree with a positive statement and a mí tampoco to agree with a negative one. Do not use 'yo también' here.
Why add a mí when there is already me?
A mí adds emphasis or contrast, as in A mí me gusta, pero a él no. With le and les, the 'a + person' part makes clear who it is.
Which verbs work like gustar?
The most common ones are encantar, interesar, molestar, doler, importar and faltar. They all take me, te, le, nos, les and agree with the thing talked about.