gusto kita
/ɡusˌto kiˈta/
To say "I like you" in Tagalog, use gusto kita.
Gusto kita is used to express romantic attraction or a crush, but it can also be used more broadly to say that you enjoy someone's company or like their personality.
Meaning: I like you (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of gusto, which means "like" or "want" and the enclitic pronoun kita, which specifically means "I [do something to] you".
Which one should you use?
While gusto kita is used for liking someone, the phrase Mahal kita is used when you want to say "I love you".
How do you pronounce it?
/ɡusˌto kiˈta/
Did you know?
- The word kita in gusto kita is a homonym that can also mean 'to see' or refer to one's 'salary' and 'earnings'.
- In casual conversation, Filipinos frequently replace gusto with the English word 'crush' to say crush kita, treating the English noun as a Tagalog verb for romantic attraction.
- The word gusto is a loanword from Spanish, which in turn took it from Latin. In its original Latin form, gustus referred to the sense of taste.
Examples in context
- Gusto kita.I like you.This sentence is useful for practicing the phrase gusto kita.Tatoeba #5361528 by kanlaon, translation #410751 by CK
- Gusto kita nang sobra.I like you so much.
- Alam mo ba na gusto kita?Do you know that I like you?
Example conversation
Angela tells Mark how she feels during a walk.
- AngelaMark, gusto kita.Mark, I like you.
- MarkTalaga? Gusto rin kita, Angela.Really? I like you too, Angela.
- AngelaAng saya ko naman!I am so happy!
- MarkSalamat sa pagtatapat.Thank you for telling me.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “I like you” translations and entries gusto kita, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries gusto, kita, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
