me gusta jugar al baloncesto
/me ɡusta xuɡaɾ al balonθesto/from spelling rules
To say "I like playing basketball" in Spanish, use me gusta jugar al baloncesto.
This phrase is used to express a personal enjoyment of the sport of basketball.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "to me it is pleasing to play at the basketball".
Is it said differently in some regions?
The term for the sport itself changes depending on where you are. In Spain, baloncesto is the standard term and you may also hear the informal Me mola jugar al baloncesto to express liking the sport. In many parts of Latin America, básquetbol or simply básquet is more common than baloncesto. Specifically, in Mexico, Argentina and Uruguay, básquetbol is the preferred term.
How does it change in a sentence?
In Spanish, the subject of the verb gusta is the activity jugar al baloncesto. Because of this, the phrase uses the indirect object pronoun me (to me) rather than the direct object yo (I).
How do you pronounce it?
/me ɡusta xuɡaɾ al balonθesto/
Did you know?
- The verb jugar is actually a distant relative of the English word 'joke'. It stems from the Latin 'iocus', meaning a 'jest' or 'joke'.
- While baloncesto is the official term in Spain, using it in certain Latin American countries might make you sound like a textbook or a formal announcer rather than a local player.
- Because the Spanish phrase me gusta jugar al baloncesto treats the activity as the subject, you could technically change me to nos to say 'we like' without changing the verb gusta to 'gustamos'.
Examples in context
- Me gusta jugar al baloncesto.I like playing basketball.This sentence is useful for expressing the phrase me gusta jugar al baloncesto.Tatoeba #854722 by opor, translation #903280 by CM
Example conversation
María and Javier are talking about their hobbies at a park.
- María¿Qué haces en tu tiempo libre, Javier?What do you do in your free time, Javier?
- JavierA mí me gusta jugar al baloncesto, ¿y a ti?I like playing basketball, and you?
- MaríaA mí también me gusta jugar al baloncesto.I also like playing basketball.
- Javier¡Qué bien! Podemos jugar juntos algún día.That's great! We can play together some day.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries baloncesto, jugar, me, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
