What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "You are pleasing to me a lot". This is because the verb gustar functions such that the person being liked acts as the subject of the sentence.
Which one should you use?
While Me gustas mucho expresses romantic attraction or "crushing" on someone, Te quiero mucho expresses a deeper level of affection or love. If you want to express even stronger infatuation or attraction, you can use Me encantas.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase Me gustas, the verb uses the second-person singular conjugation because "you" is the subject of the sentence.
How do you pronounce it?
/me ɡustas mutʃo/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying Yo te gusto mucho. This is a common mistake for English speakers who try to translate "I" as the subject, but in Spanish, the person being liked must be the subject.
Did you know?
- If you use Me gustas to describe a person, you are expressing romantic attraction. However, if you use the same verb structure to say you like a person's personality or character, you must add the word caer, as in Me caes bien.
- The word mucho descends from the Latin multus, which originally came from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'crumbled' or 'crumpled'.
- In some regions, saying Me gustas mucho is considered a 'soft' confession. To be unmistakably clear about romantic intent, people may use the phrase Estoy colado por ti, which means they are completely smitten.
Examples in context
- Te quiero mucho, querida.I like you so much, dear.
- Eres genial. Me gustas mucho.You are great. I like you so much.
- Me gustas mucho, de verdad.I like you a lot, truly.
- ¿Sabes que me gustas mucho?Do you know that I like you so much?
- Me gustas mucho desde el primer día.I have liked you so much since the first day.
Example conversation
Daniel and Sofía are sitting on a park bench at sunset.
- DanielSofía, me gustas mucho.Sofía, I like you so much.
- Sofía¿En serio me lo dices?Are you seriously telling me that?
- DanielSí, eres una mujer increíble.Yes, you are an incredible woman.
- SofíaGracias, Daniel, tú también me gustas.Thank you, Daniel, I like you too.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries me, mucho, CC BY-SA 4.0.
