me gustan los perros
/me ɡustan los peros/from spelling rules
The Spanish phrase for "I like dogs" is me gustan los perros.
This phrase is used to express a general fondness or preference for dogs.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, the phrase means "dogs are pleasing to me".
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb gustar must be in the plural form gustan because perros is plural. In this structure, the dogs are the subject of the sentence and me is the indirect object.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying yo gusto los perros. English speakers often make this mistake by trying to use "I" as the subject, but in Spanish, the thing being liked is the subject.
Did you know?
- While me gustan los perros is standard, someone might say me encantan los perros to express a stronger passion. Encantar literally means 'to enchant', implying the dogs cast a spell on you.
- In Spanish, gustar can be used to express romantic or sexual attraction. Adding the reflexive me gusto or a clarifying pronoun can shift the meaning from 'I like dogs' to 'I am attracted to this person'.
- The word perro is used in various idiomatic expressions to mean someone is 'dogged' or stubborn. Calling someone a perro can also be a slang term for a flirt or a womanizer.
Examples in context
- Me gustan los perros.I like dogs.This sentence is useful for stating the basic preference using me gustan los perros.Tatoeba #558715 by Shishir, translation #252245 by CK
- Me gustan los perros más que los gatos.I like dogs more than cats.This sentence is useful for comparing preferences using me gustan los perros.Tatoeba #1642352 by marcelostockle, translation #259878 by CK
- Me gustan los perros más que los gatos, ya que los primeros son más fieles que los segundos.I like dogs better than cats, because the former are more faithful than the latter.This sentence is useful for adding a reason to a preference using me gustan los perros.Tatoeba #2869130 by cueyayotl, translation #257243 by shekitten
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are walking through a park and see a dog.
- Daniel¡Mira ese cachorro! Me gustan los perros.Look at that puppy! I like dogs.
- LucíaA mí también, son muy lindos.Me too, they are very cute.
- Daniel¿Quieres acariciar a ese perro?Do you want to pet that dog?
- LucíaSí, por favor, es muy bonito.Yes, please, he is very pretty.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
