How to Use Gustar in Spanish (and Other Verbs Like Gustar)

If you’ve ever wondered how to use gustar in Spanish, you’re not alone – this verb works very differently from ‘to like’ in English.

In Spanish, verbs can be divided into two main groups.

1. Some verbs are conjugated with personal pronouns.
   Example: Yo compro (I buy), tú compras (you buy), él compra (he buys).
2. Other verbs are conjugated with indirect object pronouns.
   These are often called “verbs like gustar” or “verbs of affection”, such as gustar (to be pleasing), encantar (to love), and interesar (to interest).

Learning how to use these verbs with indirect object pronouns is essential for expressing likes, dislikes, and interests correctly in Spanish.

Singular subject
a. Me gusta el mango. I like the mango.
b. No te gusta el gato. You don’t like the cat.

Plural subject
a. Me gustan los gatos. I like the cats.
b. No te gustan los libros. You don’t like the books.

When mentioning the name of a person (or persons), place the name (or pronoun) between the preposition a and the indirect pronoun. This adds clarity and emphasis.

Example. A Juanito le gusta el mango. Juanito likes the mango.

Note: Many students make the mistake of omitting the “a” before the name or pronoun. The correct form always uses “a” + person + indirect pronoun.

What Does Gustar Mean in Spanish?

The verb gustar in Spanish literally means “to be pleasing to.”

That’s why instead of saying “I like pizza” (like in English), in Spanish we say “Me gusta la pizza”, which translates more directly as “Pizza is pleasing to me.”

This difference explains why gustar is used with indirect object pronouns (me, te, le, nos, les) instead of the regular subject pronouns (yo, tú, él).

Gustar Conjugation in Spanish

The verb gustar is different from regular Spanish verbs because it is used with indirect object pronouns (me, te, le, nos, os, les).

Present Tense

Pronoun	Gustar	English Translation
me	gusta	I like / It is pleasing to me
te	gusta	You like / It is pleasing to you
le	gusta	He/She/You (formal) like / It is pleasing to him/her/you
nos	gusta	We like / It is pleasing to us
os	gusta	You all like / It is pleasing to you all (Spain)
les	gusta	They/You all like / It is pleasing to them/you all

Note: Use gusta for singular nouns or verbs (Me gusta la música, Me gusta bailar) and gustan for plural nouns (Me gustan los libros).

Past Tense (Preterite)

Pronoun	Gustar	English Translation
me	gustó	I liked it
te	gustó	You liked it
le	gustó	He/She/You liked it
nos	gustó	We liked it
os	gustó	You all liked it (Spain)
les	gustó	They/You all liked it

Tip: Remember that gustar always agrees with the thing being liked, not with the person who likes it.

Verbs like gustar depend on the object, not the subject.

In Spanish, verbs like gustar, encantar, and interesar work differently from regular verbs. The verb always agrees with the thing being liked or affected, not with the person who likes it. This is why these verbs are used with indirect object pronouns (me, te, le, nos, os, les).

Examples:

• Me gusta la música → Music is pleasing to me (the verb gusta agrees with la música).
• Nos encantan los libros → Books are delightful to us (the verb encantan agrees with los libros).
• Le interesa la historia → History interests him/her (the verb interesa agrees with la historia).

Tip: Remember, the focus is always on the object, not the subject, which is the opposite of how English verbs usually work.

Common Verbs Like Gustar

Verbs like Gustar

Verb	English Meaning
gustar	to be pleasing (to someone) [to like]
encantar	to be enchanting (to someone) [to love]
faltar	to be lacking/missing (to someone)
molestar	to be bothersome (to someone) [to bother]
aburrir	to be boring (to/for someone)
parecer	to seem/appear (to someone)
bastar	to be enough (to/for someone)
importar	to be important (to someone)
disgustar	to be repugnant (to someone) [to hate]
interesar	to be interesting (to someone)
fascinar	to be fascinating (to someone)
sobrar	to be left over or extra (to someone)
doler (o → ue)	to be painful (to someone) [to hurt, to ache]