¿te gusta la escuela?
To ask "do you like school?" in Spanish, you say ¿te gusta la escuela?
This phrase is used to ask someone if they enjoy their time or experience at school.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase ¿te gusta la escuela? literally translates to "is the school pleasing to you?" because the verb gusta functions differently than the English "to like".
Which one should you use?
¿Le agrada la escuela? specifically asks "Do you like the school?" and is used in formal contexts.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase ¿te gusta la escuela?, the school is actually the subject of the sentence rather than the object.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly try to use a direct object pronoun to mean "you like", but in Spanish, the subject of the sentence is actually la escuela.
Did you know?
- The word escuela comes from the Ancient Greek word skholḗ, which originally meant 'spare time' or 'leisure'.
- Because la escuela is the subject in ¿te gusta la escuela?, you can change the verb to the plural gustan if you list multiple things, such as ¿te gustan la escuela y el deporte?
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, students might use the word colegio instead of escuela to refer to their primary or secondary education.
Examples in context
- Sí, me gusta mucho.Yes, I like it a lot.
- Dime, ¿te gusta la escuela?Tell me, do you like school?
Example conversation
Javier and Sofía are talking in a park.
- JavierSofía, ¿te gusta la escuela?Sofía, do you like school?
- SofíaSí, me gusta mucho.Yes, I like it a lot.
- Javier¿Y tus clases?And your classes?
- SofíaSon muy divertidas.They are very fun.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries escuela, la, te, CC BY-SA 4.0.
