me gusta esquiar
/me ɡusta eskjaɾ/from spelling rules
To say "I like to ski" in Spanish, use me gusta esquiar.
The phrase is used to express that you enjoy the activity of skiing.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, me gusta esquiar translates to "to me it is pleasing to ski".
Which one should you use?
While me gusta esquiar means "I like to ski", you can use me encanta esquiar to express a stronger level of enjoyment, meaning "I love to ski". Additionally, ¡Me chifla esquiar! is a colloquial way to say "I love skiing!"
How does it change in a sentence?
In the construction me gusta esquiar, the subject of the sentence is actually the infinitive verb esquiar, rather than the person who enjoys the activity.
How do you pronounce it?
/me ɡusta eskjaɾ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying yo gusto esquiar. While English speakers often try to use yo (I) as the subject, the verb gustar requires the indirect object pronoun me.
Did you know?
- The colloquial phrase ¡Me chifla esquiar! uses a verb that originally meant 'to whistle', effectively saying that the activity makes you whistle with joy.
- The verb esquiar is a relatively modern addition to Spanish, created by adding the infinitive ending -ar to the loanword esquí, which comes from the Norwegian 'ski'.
- While me gusta esquiar expresses a preference, the verb gustar can also mean 'to be physically attractive' when used with a person, such as me gustas, meaning 'I like you' in a romantic sense.
Examples in context
- ¡Me chifla esquiar! Vivir en las montañas me permite practicar mi deporte favorito.I love skiing! Living in the mountains allows me to practice my favorite sport.
- Me gusta esquiar en invierno.I like to ski in winter.
- No me gusta esquiar cuando hace mucho frío.I don't like to ski when it is very cold.
Example conversation
Sofía and Daniel are talking about their winter hobbies.
- Sofía¿Te gusta la nieve, Daniel?Do you like snow, Daniel?
- DanielSí, de hecho me gusta esquiar.Yes, in fact I like to ski.
- Sofía¡Qué bien! A mí también me gusta esquiar.That's great! I like to ski too.
- DanielEntonces, ¿vamos a la montaña este fin de semana?Then, shall we go to the mountains this weekend?
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries esquiar, me, CC BY-SA 4.0.
