no le gusta
/no le ɡusta/from spelling rules
The Spanish phrase for "doesn't like" is no le gusta.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, no le gusta translates to "it does not please him/her/you". This is because the verb gustar functions differently than the English "to like".
Which one should you use?
The phrase no le gusta is ambiguous and can mean "he doesn't like", "she doesn't like" or "you (formal) don't like" depending on the context of the conversation.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, no le mola is an informal, colloquial way to express dislikes, popular among young people. In Latin America and parts of Spain, no le agrada is a formal way to express dislikes.
How do you pronounce it?
/no le ɡusta/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use a direct object pronoun (like lo) instead of the indirect object pronoun le required by the verb gustar.
Did you know?
- While no le gusta is used for general dislikes, Spanish speakers use the word asco for a dislike that is specifically physically repulsive.
- In Spanish, the thing being disliked is actually the grammatical subject of the sentence, not the person.
- The word no in this phrase is inherited from the Latin nōn, which is also the root for the French non and Italian no.
Examples in context
- No le gusta comer.He doesn't like eating.This sentence shows how to use no le gusta with the verb eating.Tatoeba #9287391 by Javea, translation #11324242 by Luornu
- No le gusta nadar.He doesn't like to swim.This sentence shows how to use no le gusta with the verb to swim.Tatoeba #9287398 by Javea, translation #9806501 by DJ_Saidez
- No le gusta cazar.He doesn't like hunting.This sentence shows how to use no le gusta with the verb hunting.Tatoeba #13396135 by Shishir, translation #13359554 by Radek
- No le gusta el café.He/She doesn't like coffee.
- A Juan no le gusta la música clásica.Juan doesn't like classical music.
- No les gusta el fútbol.They don't like soccer.
- A mi jefe no le caigo bien.My boss doesn't like me.
- No le cae bien la nueva vecina.He/She doesn't like the new neighbor.
- No tiene gusto por el arte contemporáneo.He/She doesn't have a taste for contemporary art.
- No me gusta ir al cine.I don't like going to the movies.
- No nos gusta la comida picante.We don't like spicy food.
- No me cae bien Pedro.I don't like Pedro.
- A Juanita no le cae bien su compañera de cuarto.Juanita doesn't like her roommate.
- No le agrada el calor del verano.He/She doesn't like the summer heat.
- A ellos no les agrada el sabor del pescado.They don't like the taste of fish.
- No me mola este programa de televisión.I don't like this TV show.
- No les mola el fútbol americano.They don't like American football.
- 257 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and Lucía are discussing a gift for a friend.
- Mateo¿Quieres comprarle este libro?Do you want to buy him this book?
- LucíaNo, a él no le gusta la lectura.No, he doesn't like reading.
- MateoTienes razón, busquemos otra cosa.You are right, let's look for something else.
- LucíaSí, mejor algo de música.Yes, something musical is better.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries le, no, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
