Me gusta el voleibol
/me ɡusta el boleibol/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'I like volleyball' is expressed in Spanish as Me gusta el voleibol.
How does it change in a sentence?
When talking about a sport in a general sense, you must include the definite article el before the name of the sport. Additionally, if the object of your liking is plural, you must change the verb from gusta to gustan, such as in Me gustan los deportes de voleibol.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly say Yo gusto el voleibol instead of Me gusta el voleibol. In Spanish, the person who likes the thing is the indirect object, not the subject.
Did you know?
- The word el used before the sport is a linguistic 'false friend' to Arabic, as it looks identical to the Arabic definite article 'al' but actually descends from the Latin 'ille'.
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, people use the term vóley as a shorthand for voleibol in casual conversation, much like English speakers use 'volleyball'.
- If you were to say you 'love' volleyball instead of just 'liking' it, you would use the verb encantar, which follows the same grammatical structure as gusta.
Examples in context
- Me encanta el voleibol, ¡es superdivertido!I love volleyball, it's so much fun!
- Me gusta el voleibol.I like volleyball.
- A mí me gusta el voleibol de playa.I like beach volleyball.
Example conversation
Alejandro and Elena are talking about their favorite sports at the park.
- Alejandro¿Qué deporte practicas tú?What sport do you practice?
- ElenaMe gusta el voleibol, ¿y a ti?I like volleyball, and you?
- AlejandroA mí me gusta el fútbol.I like soccer.
- Elena¡El fútbol también es divertido!Soccer is also fun!
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries el, me, voleibol, CC BY-SA 4.0.
