me gustas
/me ˈɡustas/
To say "I have a crush on you" in Spanish, you use me gustas.
Me gustas is a simple and direct way to express that you like someone or have a crush on them. You can intensify this feeling by saying me gustas mucho, which means "i really like you". While the English phrase "I have a crush on you" can sometimes sound juvenile, me gustas is the standard way to express attraction.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, you may encounter the colloquial expression me molas to say "I like you".
How does it change in a sentence?
Grammatically, the phrase is structured as "you please me" rather than "I like you". To express the opposite and say you do not have a crush on someone, use the negative form no me gustas. If you want to describe the act of falling in love, you would use the verb enamorarse.
How do you pronounce it?
/me ˈɡustas/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly say yo te gusto when they mean "I like you". However, yo te gusto actually means "you like me".
Did you know?
- To express a more intense, obsessive crush, some speakers use estar colado por alguien, which literally means 'to be strained' through a sieve for someone.
- In some Latin American countries, if you say me gustas to a friend, it can be interpreted as a playful joke unless your tone is explicitly serious.
- While me gustas is for romantic attraction, using it to describe a person's physical appearance is common and not necessarily a confession of love.
Examples in context
- Tengo que decirte que me gustas.I have to tell you that I have a crush on you.
- ¿Sabes que me gustas?Do you know that I like you?
Example conversation
Daniel and María are walking in a park at sunset.
- DanielMaría, tengo algo importante que decirte.María, I have something important to tell you.
- María¿Qué pasa, Daniel?What's wrong, Daniel?
- DanielEs que me gustas mucho.It's just that I really like you.
- María¡Ay, qué lindo! Yo también siento lo mismo.Oh, how sweet! I feel the same way.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry me gustas, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
