me gusta el helado
/me ɡusta el elado/from spelling rules
The English phrase "I like ice cream" is translated into Spanish as me gusta el helado.
This phrase is used to express a general fondness for ice cream.
Which one should you use?
Me encanta el helado expresses a stronger sense of love, while Me chifla el helado is a colloquial way to say you are crazy about it. To express that ice cream drives you crazy, you can use Me vuelve loco(a) el helado.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, both Me gusta el helado and Me encanta el helado are common ways to express your liking for ice cream.
How does it change in a sentence?
When expressing a general fondness for a substance or concept in Spanish, you must use the definite article el before the noun, as seen in el helado. If you are referring to specific types of ice creams in the plural, you must change the verb to gustan and use the plural noun with its article: me gustan los helados.
Did you know?
- In Spanish, the verb gustar does not actually mean 'to like'. It literally means 'to be pleasing to', which is why you say me gusta to mean 'it is pleasing to me'.
- If you want to say you are 'crazy' about ice cream, you might say me chifla el helado. This uses a verb that is more commonly associated with a whistling sound.
- The word helado is the past participle of the verb helar, which means 'to freeze'. This means saying me gusta el helado is literally like saying 'I like the frozen thing'.
Examples in context
- Me gusta el helado.I like ice cream.This sentence is useful for practicing the phrase me gusta el helado.Tatoeba #1249536 by Shishir, translation #4439455 by fanty
- Me gusta mucho el heladoI like ice cream a lot
- Me gusta el helado de vainillaI like vanilla ice cream
- A mí me gusta el helado de chocolate.I like chocolate ice cream.
Example conversation
Elena and Mateo are deciding what to eat for dessert.
- Elena¿Quieres comer fruta o algo más?Do you want to eat fruit or something else?
- MateoA mí me gusta el helado, ¿y a ti?I like ice cream, and you?
- ElenaA mí también me gusta mucho.I like it a lot too.
- Mateo¡Perfecto! Vamos a la heladería.Perfect! Let's go to the ice cream shop.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
