What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is literally composed of espero (I hope), que (that), te (you/to you) and guste (it pleases/it likes).
Which one should you use?
You can use ojalá que te guste to add a slightly stronger sense of longing or hope to the phrase. To say "I hope you enjoy it", you can use espero que lo disfrutes in an informal context or espero que lo disfrute in a formal way. To express "I hope it pleases you" formally, you can use deseo que sea de su agrado.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the subjunctive mood (guste) because it expresses a wish or desire. If the thing being given is plural (e.g., flowers or books), the verb must change to the plural subjunctive form gusten. The phrase espero que te parezca bien is used to express "I hope you find it good."
How do you pronounce it?
/espeɾo ke te ɡuste/
Did you know?
- The phrase ojalá in ojalá que te guste comes from the Arabic wa šāʾ Allāh, meaning 'and God willing'.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, if a gift is given, the recipient may initially decline or be modest before saying me gusta to avoid appearing greedy.
- The word que in this phrase is a linguistic relative of the English word 'who', despite having a completely different meaning in Spanish.
Examples in context
- Sé que cometí muchos errores, pero espero que te guste.I know I made a lot of mistakes, but I hope you like it.This sentence shows how to use the phrase after acknowledging previous mistakes.Tatoeba #10061105 by jxff, translation #10059216 by Ricardo14
- Espero que te guste.I hope you like it.This is a simple way to use the phrase on its own.Tatoeba #436718 by lukaszpp, translation #436717 by lukaszpp
- El regalo que le he comprado es algo especial. Espero que le guste.The gift that I bought for you is something special. I hope you like it.
- He preparado este plato especialmente para usted. Espero que lo disfrute.I have prepared this dish especially for you. I hope you enjoy it.
- Aquí tiene el informe final. Deseo que sea de su agrado.Here is the final report. I hope it pleases you.
- He comprado un libro que te encantará. Espero que te guste.I bought a book that you will love. I hope you like it.
- ¿Has probado el pastel que hice para ti? Espero que lo disfrutes.Have you tried the cake I made for you? I hope you enjoy it.
- Te traje este libro, espero que te guste.I brought you this book, I hope you like it.
Example conversation
Sofía gives a handmade drawing to Mateo.
- SofíaHice esto para ti, espero que te guste.I made this for you, I hope you like it.
- Mateo¡Es increíble! Muchas gracias, Sofía.It's amazing! Thank you very much, Sofía.
- SofíaMe alegra mucho que te haya gustado.I'm very glad that you liked it.
- MateoLo voy a colgar en mi cuarto.I am going to hang it in my room.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries que, te, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
