Me gusta el fútbol
/me ɡusta el futbol/from spelling rules
The English phrase "I like football" is translated into Spanish as Me gusta el fútbol.
The phrase Me gusta el fútbol is used to express a personal fondness or preference for the sport of football.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, the phrase is structured as "To me it pleases the football" rather than the English "I like football".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina, the sport is commonly referred to as fútbol (with an accent).
How does it change in a sentence?
In Spanish, when talking about a sport in a general sense, you must use the definite article el before the noun.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly say Yo gusto el fútbol to mean "I like football". Instead, you should use the indirect object pronoun Me with the verb gustar.
Did you know?
- Because fútbol is the most popular sport in the Spanish-speaking world, it is often called el deporte rey or 'the king sport'.
- Depending on the region, people might say they like el balompié, a more formal and traditional Spanish word for football meaning 'ball-foot'.
- The word fútbol is a linguistic transplant that arrived in Spanish directly from English. While it feels like a native word, it is actually a phonetic adaptation of the English 'football'.
Examples in context
- Me gusta el fútbol y soy un gran seguidor del Real Madrid.I like football, and I'm a big fan of Real Madrid.
- No te preocupes, a mí me gusta el fútbol.Don't worry, I like football.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their hobbies at a cafe.
- Daniel¿Te gusta el baloncesto?Do you like basketball?
- ElenaNo, pero me gusta el fútbol.No, but I like football.
- Daniel¡A mí también me gusta el fútbol!I like football too!
- Elena¡Qué bueno, Daniel!That's great, Daniel!
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries el, fútbol, me, CC BY-SA 4.0.
