me gusta jugar al béisbol
/me ɡusta xuɡaɾ al beisbol/from spelling rules
The English phrase "I like to play baseball" is translated into Spanish as me gusta jugar al béisbol.
This phrase is used to express a personal enjoyment of the sport of baseball.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, me gusta jugar al béisbol translates to "to me it is pleasing to play at baseball".
Which one should you use?
While me gusta jugar al béisbol is traditionally more precise, you may also hear the variation me gusta jugar béisbol, which omits the al.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Dominican Republic, it is appropriate to say Me gusta jugar pelota to express liking to play baseball.
How does it change in a sentence?
In Spanish, the verb gustar functions such that the subject of the sentence is the activity being liked, rather than the person doing the liking.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying yo gusto jugar al béisbol. This is a common error made by English speakers who attempt to translate "I like" directly. Instead, use me gusta.
Did you know?
- The Spanish verb jugar is a distant relative of the English word 'joke'. Both come from the Latin word iocus, meaning a 'joke' or 'jest'.
- While béisbol is used throughout the Spanish-speaking world, its spelling includes an accent mark on the 'e' to preserve the English stress pattern.
- In the Dominican Republic, referring to baseball as pelota is not just a slang term but a deep cultural identifier for the national sport.
Examples in context
- No solo verlo, también me gusta jugar al béisbol.Not just watching it, I also like to play baseball.
Example conversation
Alejandro and Elena are talking about their favorite hobbies in a park.
- Alejandro¿Qué haces en tu tiempo libre?What do you do in your free time?
- ElenaA mí me gusta jugar al béisbol.I like to play baseball.
- Alejandro¡Qué bien! A mí me gusta el fútbol.That's great! I like soccer.
- ElenaPodemos jugar juntos algún día.We can play together someday.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries béisbol, jugar, me, CC BY-SA 4.0.
