Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| me agradas | /me aɡɾadas/ (from spelling rules) | |
| me gustas | /me ˈɡustas/ | informal |
| me gusta | /me ˈɡusta/ | formal |
| me agrada | /me aɡɾada/ (from spelling rules) | |
| te quiero | /te ˈkjeɾo/ |
In Spanish, expressing that you like someone requires choosing a phrase that specifies whether your feeling is romantic, platonic or based on their personality. Me gustas is a simple and straightforward way to say 'I like you' informally, but it typically expresses romantic or physical attraction. For a non-romantic way to say you like someone's personality or find them pleasant, use me agradas. If you want to express a friendly connection or that you like someone's personality in an informal way, you can also use me caes bien. For a much stronger expression of affection or love toward friends or family, use te quiero.
Which one should you use?
The different forms are distinguished by the type of liking expressed: me gustas is for romantic or physical attraction, while me agradas means you like someone as a person without romantic undertones. While me gustas and me agradas are used for liking, te quiero is significantly stronger and expresses affection or love. If you want to express a strong level of attraction in a formal setting, you might use the phrase siento una atracción hacia usted.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The choice of words depends heavily on the level of formality. Me gustas is an informal way to express romantic attraction. To address someone formally, me gustas changes to me gusta.
How does it change in a sentence?
When addressing someone formally using 'usted', the form me gustas must be changed to me gusta to reflect the formal address.
How do you pronounce it?
/me aɡɾadas/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying Yo te gusto to mean 'I like you'. In Spanish, the person being liked is the subject of the verb, so the structure is different than in English.
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, a kiss on the cheek often accompanies the expression of platonic liking, whereas a romantic me gustas might be preceded by more prolonged eye contact.
- The verb querer in te quiero also means 'to want', which can lead to ambiguous meanings in poetic literature depending on whether it implies affection or desire.
- The phrase te quiero can be used for a best friend or a parent, but in some Latin American countries, it is the standard way to say 'I love you' before escalating to the more intense te amo.
Examples in context
- Por eso me gustas.That's why I like you.This sentence is useful for explaining a reason for liking someone using me gustas.Tatoeba #3519655 by teskmon, translation #3519313 by CK
- Creo que me gustas.I think I like you.This sentence is useful for expressing a thought about liking someone using me gustas.Tatoeba #4554749 by swyter, translation #1887705 by CK
- Me gustas como amigo.I like you as a friend.This sentence is useful for specifying that the liking is platonic using me gustas.Tatoeba #4405154 by pchamorro, translation #2377626 by CK
- Hola María, me gustas mucho.Hi María, I really like you.
- Me caes muy bien, ¿te gustaría salir conmigo?I really like you, would you like to go out with me?
- Me gusta mucho su personalidad, ¿le gustaría tomar algo juntos?I really like your personality, would you like to have a drink together?
- Siento una atracción hacia usted que no puedo ignorar.I feel an attraction towards you that I cannot ignore.
- 20 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Javier are talking after a long class.
- SofíaMe agradas mucho, Javier.I like you a lot, Javier.
- Javier¿En serio, Sofía?Really, Sofía?
- SofíaSí, eres una gran persona.Yes, you are a great person.
- JavierGracias, tú también me agradas.Thanks, I like you too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “i like you” translations and entries me gustas, me gusta, te quiero, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
