Me gusta escribir
/me ɡusta eskɾibiɾ/from spelling rules
The English phrase "I like writing" is translated into Spanish as Me gusta escribir.
Me gusta escribir is used to express a general preference for the activity of writing.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to 'To me, writing is pleasing' because me is the indirect object and gusta means 'is pleasing to'.
Which one should you use?
Using the infinitive escribir expresses a general preference for the activity. In English, one might use a gerund, but in Spanish, the infinitive is the correct way to express this preference with the verb gustar.
How does it change in a sentence?
In this construction, the subject of the sentence is the infinitive verb escribir, not the person represented by me.
How do you pronounce it?
/me ɡusta eskɾibiɾ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying Yo gusto escribir. English speakers often make this mistake by translating "I" directly, but the verb gustar requires the indirect object pronoun me and a different sentence structure.
Did you know?
- Spanish has a specific word, pluma, for a writing pen, which literally translates to 'feather'.
- To emphasize that you truly love writing, you can say Me encanta escribir. This uses the verb encantar, which literally means 'to enchant'.
- While escribir means 'to write', the Spanish word for 'a writing' or 'a piece of writing' is escrito, which is actually the past participle of the verb.
Examples in context
- Me gusta escribir cartas.I like writing letters.Tatoeba #13704608 by ecorralest101, translation #13704605 by Babelball
- Me gusta escribir.I like writing.Tatoeba #5208342 by Elyte, translation #5851859 by CK
- Me gusta escribir, especialmente poesía. Es una forma de expresión personal muy gratificante.I like writing, especially poetry. It's a very rewarding form of personal expression.
- Me gusta escribir poemas cortos.I like writing short poems.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing their hobbies at a cafe.
- JavierSofía, ¿tienes algún pasatiempo?Sofía, do you have a hobby?
- SofíaSí, me gusta escribir en mi diario.Yes, I like writing in my diary.
- Javier¡Qué bueno! A mí también me gusta escribir.That's great! I also like writing.
- Sofía¿De verdad, Javier?Really, Javier?
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
