me encanta la gimnasia
/me enkanta la ximnasja/from spelling rules
In Spanish, "I love gymnastics" is expressed as me encanta la gimnasia.
This phrase is used to express a strong liking for the sport of gymnastics. You might use related terms such as ejercicios for exercises or acrobacias for acrobatics when discussing the sport.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase me encanta la gimnasia translates literally to "gymnastics enchants me".
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb encantar functions similarly to the verb gustar. The subject of the sentence is actually la gimnasia and me serves as the indirect object. Because the verb must agree with the subject, if you change the subject to a plural noun like las acrobacias, the verb must change to the plural form me encantan las acrobacias.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often say yo amo la gimnasia to mean "I love gymnastics". While amo is a translation of "I love", it is an over-use of the verb amar for hobbies. In Spanish, encantar is much more natural for expressing a passion for a sport or activity.
Did you know?
- The word gimnasia shares a root with the English word 'gymnasium', both of which derive from the Ancient Greek word gymnos, meaning 'naked', because athletes originally trained without clothes.
- If you say yo amo la gimnasia, you might sound like a character in a romantic soap opera. For hobbies and sports, Spanish speakers prefer the verb encantar to avoid the intense, heavy weight of 'loving' someone.
- While gimnasia refers to the sport, the word for a physical gym building is gimnasio. These two words are distinct, whereas English uses 'gymnastics' and 'gym' as variations of the same root.
Examples in context
- ¿Qué te gusta hacer en tu tiempo libre? Me encanta la gimnasia. Practico desde que era niño.What do you like to do in your free time? I love gymnastics. I've been practicing since I was a child.
- ¿Por qué te decidiste a comenzar con la gimnasia? Siento pasión por la gimnasia. La gracia y la disciplina necesarias me atraen mucho.Why did you decide to start gymnastics? I feel passion for gymnastics. The grace and discipline required attract me a lot.
Example conversation
Lucía and Alejandro are talking about their favorite sports at the gym.
- Lucía¿Te gusta el fútbol, Alejandro?Do you like soccer, Alejandro?
- AlejandroNo, no me gusta mucho. ¿Y a ti?No, I don't like it much. And you?
- LucíaA mí me encanta la gimnasia.I love gymnastics.
- Alejandro¡Qué bien! Es un deporte increíble.That's great! It is an incredible sport.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
