Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| me gustas | /me ˈɡustas/ | informal |
| me gusta | /me ˈɡusta/ | formal |
| me agradas | /me aɡɾadas/ (from spelling rules) | |
| me agrada | /me aɡɾada/ (from spelling rules) | |
| te quiero | /te ˈkjeɾo/ |
Me gustas is typically used to express romantic or physical attraction. If you want to express that you like someone's personality or enjoy their company without romantic intent, you should use me agradas. For a stronger expression of affection used for friends, family or romantic partners, you can use te quiero, which means "I love you" or "I care for you".
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase me gustas literally translates to "you are pleasing to me" because the verb functions with the person being liked as the subject.
Which one should you use?
Me gustas is used for romantic attraction, while me agradas implies you like someone's personality or company without necessarily being attracted to them. Te quiero is a stronger expression of affection than me gustas and is used to express care or love for friends, family or romantic partners.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Me gustas is informal, whereas me gusta is formal.
How do you pronounce it?
/me ˈɡustas/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying yo te gusto to mean "I like you". This is a common error made by following English word order. In Spanish, the person being liked acts as the subject of the verb.
Did you know?
- If you want to say you like someone in a platonic way, using me agradas is safe, but in many casual settings, people simply say me caes bien, which literally means 'you fall well on me'.
- While te quiero is often translated as 'I love you', it is significantly less intense than te amo. In many Spanish speaking countries, te amo is reserved for soulmates or deeply serious commitments, while te quiero is the standard for friends and family.
- Using te quiero with a pet is extremely common and natural, whereas using me gustas with a pet would sound bizarre or suggestive to a native speaker.
Examples in context
- Por eso me gustas.That's why I like you.Tatoeba #3519655 by teskmon, translation #3519313 by CK
- Creo que me gustas.I think I like you.Tatoeba #4554749 by swyter, translation #1887705 by CK
- Me gustas como amigo.I like you as a friend.Tatoeba #4405154 by pchamorro, translation #2377626 by CK
- Me gusta mucho usted.I like you a lot (using formal "you").
- Tengo un gran aprecio por usted.I have great regard for you.
- Le tengo mucho cariño.I hold you dear.
- Estimo su compañía.I hold your company in high esteem.
- Me gustas mucho.I like you a lot.
- Tengo mucho cariño por ti.I have a lot of affection for you.
- Me caes muy bien.I really like you
- Me agradas muchoI like you a lot
- Me caes genialI really like you.
- 20 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alejandro is confessing his feelings to Sofía in a park.
- AlejandroSofía, me gustas mucho.Sofía, I like you a lot.
- Sofía¿En serio me lo dices?Are you seriously telling me that?
- AlejandroSí, me gustas de verdad.Yes, I really like you.
- Sofía¡Qué lindo, Alejandro!How sweet, Alejandro!
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.
