me gustan las matemáticas
/me ɡustan las matematikas/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'I like math' is expressed in Spanish as me gustan las matemáticas.
This phrase is used to express that someone enjoys the subject of mathematics. In casual conversation, you may encounter the colloquial shortened form mates.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to 'to me, mathematics are pleasing'. This is because the verb gustar functions differently than the English 'to like'.
How does it change in a sentence?
Because matemáticas is plural, the verb must be the plural form gustan rather than the singular gusta. Although las matemáticas is the most common way to refer to the subject, you can also use the singular la matemática to express the same sentiment.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying yo gusto las matemáticas. English speakers often mistakenly use the subject pronoun yo with gustar, but in Spanish, the person who likes the subject is the indirect object me.
Did you know?
- The word matemáticas comes from the Greek word mathēmatikós, which means 'fond of learning', rather than specifically referring to numbers.
- The word las in this phrase traces back to the Latin 'illās', which originally functioned as a demonstrative pronoun meaning 'those'.
- In Spain, students often use the shortened word mates to refer to the subject, but in many Latin American countries, this is not common and might be misunderstood.
Examples in context
- Me preguntó si me gustan las matemáticas.He asked me whether I like math.This sentence is useful for showing how to use me gustan las matemáticas within a reported question.Tatoeba #1266456 by Shishir, translation #1266429 by yifen238
- Me gustan las matemáticas.I like math.This sentence is a direct example of the phrase me gustan las matemáticas.Tatoeba #722528 by ismailzali, translation #435452 by CK
- Me gusta el estudio de las matemáticas porque me ayuda a desarrollar mi razonamiento lógico.I like the study of math because it helps me develop my logical reasoning.
Example conversation
Elena and Javier are talking about their favorite school subjects.
- ElenaA mí me gustan las matemáticas.I like math.
- JavierDe verdad, Elena, yo odio los números.Really, Elena, I hate numbers.
- ElenaPero me gustan las matemáticas porque son lógicas.But I like math because it is logical.
- JavierTienes razón, Javier no es tan listo.You're right, Javier is not that smart.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries las, me, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
