me gusta la sandía
/me ɡusta la sandia/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'I like watermelon' is expressed in Spanish as me gusta la sandía.
This phrase is used to express a fondness for the fruit known as watermelon. If you wish to express a much stronger love for the fruit, you can say Me encanta la sandía. In a very enthusiastic or colloquial way, you might hear someone say Me flipa el melón to indicate a strong liking.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to 'to me is pleasing the watermelon'. This is because the verb gustar functions differently than the English verb 'to like'.
How does it change in a sentence?
When expressing a general preference for a fruit, you must use the definite article la before the noun sandía. If you want to say you like multiple watermelons, the verb must change to the plural form gustan to agree with the plural noun las sandías.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying yo gusto la sandía. English speakers often mistakenly try to use the subject pronoun 'yo' with this verb, but me gusta is the correct way to express your liking for something.
Did you know?
- The name for watermelon, sandía, actually traces its roots back to the Sindh region of modern-day Pakistan via Arabic. It is a linguistic journey that connects a common Spanish fruit to the Indus Valley.
- In Spain, you might hear me flipa to describe a strong liking, a slang term derived from the English word 'flip'.
- While you use me gusta la sandía to express your preference, if you were to say me flipa el melón, you are using a very colloquial slang. Even though melón often means 'melon', in some contexts it can also refer to a person's head.
Examples in context
- Me gusta la sandía.I like watermelon.This sentence is useful for expressing a preference for watermelon using me gusta la sandía.Tatoeba #1731704 by hayastan, translation #1575786 by human600
- Me flipa el melónI'm crazy about watermelon.
- Me re gusta la sandíaI really like watermelon.
- A mí me gusta la sandía en verano.I like watermelon in summer.
Example conversation
Javier and Sofía are choosing a fruit for dessert at home.
- Javier¿Quieres manzana o melón?Do you want apple or melon?
- SofíaPrefiero la sandía, me gusta la sandía.I prefer watermelon, I like watermelon.
- JavierEstá bien, compraré sandía en el mercado.Alright, I will buy watermelon at the market.
- SofíaGracias, Javier, eres muy amable.Thank you, Javier, you are very kind.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries la, me, sandía, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
