Here are some examples of gustar in action:

Transcription

1 Gustar If you're a beginner, chances are most of the Spanish sentences you've been using as examples are ones that follow roughly the same word order as we use in English, with the verb following the subject. But Spanish also frequently places the subject after the verb, and that is usually true with gustar.

2 Here are some examples of gustar in action: Me gusta el coche. I like the car. Nos gustan los coches. We like the cars. Le gustan los coches. He/she likes the cars. As you can see, the sentences aren't quite what you might expect. Instead of following the form "person who likes + verb + the object liked," they follow the form "indirect-object pronoun representing the person who likes + verb + the object liked." In these sentences, the object liked is the subject in Spanish.

3 If this seems confusing, here's an approach that might help: Instead of thinking of gustar as meaning "to like," it is both more accurate and makes more sense in this sentence structure to think of it as meaning "to be pleasing." When we say, "I like the car," the meaning is much the same as saying, "the car is pleasing to me." In plural form, it becomes "the cars are pleasing to me," with a plural verb. Note, the differences in the common and literal translations below: Me gusta el coche. I like the car. The car is pleasing to me. Nos gustan los coches. We like the cars. The cars are pleasing to us. Le gustan los coches. He/she likes the cars. The cars are pleasing to him/her.

4 When the pronoun le or les is used, the context might not always make clear who is the person doing the liking. In that case, you can add the prepositional phrase "a + the person liking" as shown below at the beginning of the sentence (or less commonly at the end of the sentence). Note that the indirect-object pronoun cannot be omitted; the prepositional phrase clarifies the indirect-object pronoun rather than replacing it. A Carlos le gusta el coche. Carlos likes the car. A María le gustan las camionetas. María likes the pickups. A ustedes les gusta el coche? Do you (plural) like the car?

5 Indirect Object Pronouns Me Nos Te Le Le Les Les an indirect object is the person affected by the action (to whom? For whom?) but not acted directly upon. In a sentence such as "I am writing Sam a letter," "Sam" is the indirect object. The item being written is "letter," so "letter" is the direct object. "Sam" is the indirect object as one who is affected by the verb's action on the direct object.

6 Ejemplos de I.O.P.: Juan me da una camisa. John is giving me a shirt. Juan te da una camisa. John is giving you a shirt. Juan le da una camisa a usted. John is giving you a shirt. María nos da unas camisas. Mary is giving us some shirts. María les da unas camisas. Mary is giving them some shirts.

7 Ejemplos: I.O.P + gustar + infinitive Me gusta jugar en el parque. Nos gusta ir a la escuela. Te gusta cantar en el coro? No le gusta hacer ejercicio. I.O.P. + gustar + noun No me gusta el libro. Me gustan las enchiladas mucho. Les gusta la clase. No les gustan los deportes. Te gusta la comida? No te gustan las verduras?

8 Práctica: Translate 1. I like to go to the movie theater. 2. We like to visit with friends. 3. She likes to dance. 4. They like to swim. 5. Do you (familiar) like to sing? 6. Do you (formal) like to skate? 7. You (plural) like to rent videos. 8. We like fruit. 9. They don't like vegetables. 10. I don't like beans. 11. She likes salads. 12. Do you like oranges? 13. I don't like the cold.

9 1. Me gusta ir al cine. Going to the movie theater is pleasing to me. 2. Nos gusta visitar con amigos. Visiting with friends is pleasing to us. 3. Le gusta bailar. Dancing is pleasing to her. 4. Les gusta nadar. Swimming is pleasing to them. 5. Te gusta cantar? Is singing pleasing to you? 6. Le gusta patinar? Is skating pleasing to you? 7. Les gusta alquilar videos. Renting videos is pleasing to them. 8. No me gusta escribir. Writing is not pleasing to me. 9. No les gusta ir de compras. Shopping is not pleasing to them. 10. Nos gusta escuchar música. Listening to music is pleasing to us. 11. Te gusta leer? Is reading pleasing to you?