me gusta tu sonrisa
/me ɡusta tu sonrisa/from spelling rules
To say I like your smile in Spanish, use me gusta tu sonrisa.
me gusta tu sonrisa is a friendly compliment that tells someone you find their smile pleasing.
What does it mean word for word?
me gusta means it pleases me, tu means your and sonrisa means smile, so it literally says to me your smile is pleasing.
Which one should you use?
me encanta tu sonrisa means I love your smile and expresses stronger admiration.
How does it change in a sentence?
The thing liked is the subject, so with a plural noun the verb changes: me gustan tus sonrisas.
How do you pronounce it?
In IPA it is /me ɡusta tu sonrisa/.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not say yo gusto tu sonrisa. In Spanish the smile is what does the pleasing, so say me gusta tu sonrisa.
Did you know?
- The word sonrisa is actually a linguistic 'hybrid' that hides its true meaning. While it looks like it is made of 'son' (sound) and 'risa' (laughter), it actually comes from the Latin word 'subrīdeō', meaning 'to smile slightly'.
- Giving a compliment like me gusta tu sonrisa can be interpreted as a flirtatious move in many Spanish-speaking cultures rather than just a friendly observation.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, giving a direct compliment like me gusta tu sonrisa is a common way to show warmth, but it is often accompanied by maintaining soft eye contact to show sincerity.
Examples in context
- Me gusta muchísimo tu hermosa sonrisa.I really like your beautiful smile (informal).
- Oye, me gusta tu sonrisa.Hey, I like your smile.
- Es verdad, me gusta tu sonrisa.It is true, I like your smile.
Example conversation
Mateo and Elena are talking in a park.
- MateoElena, me gusta tu sonrisa.Elena, I like your smile.
- Elena¡Muchas gracias, Mateo!Thank you very much, Mateo!
- MateoEres muy amable.You are very kind.
- ElenaMe haces sonreír.You make me smile.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries me, sonrisa, tu, CC BY-SA 4.0.
