gustar
/ɡusˈtaɾ/
To say 'like' in Spanish, use gustar.
gustar is used to express that you find something or someone pleasant or appealing. In modern informal contexts, the phrase Dale like is used to suggest that someone click the 'like' button on social media.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb gustar functions like 'to be pleasing to', meaning the thing being liked is actually the subject of the sentence. To say 'I like', you must use the indirect object pronoun me followed by the verb, such as me gusta or me gustan. Use the third-person singular form gusta when the thing being liked is a single item or an action (verb), and use the third-person plural form gustan when the things being liked are multiple items.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɡusˈtaɾ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly try to use gustar like 'to want' by saying Yo gusto esto for 'I like this'. Instead, you must use an indirect object pronoun, such as Me gusta esto.
Did you know?
- To avoid the romantic implication of gustar when talking about a person's personality, speakers often use caer bien instead.
- In some contexts, gustar can be used to express sexual attraction, which can lead to misunderstandings if used too broadly when talking about friends.
- The verb gustar is related to the Latin 'gustus', which refers to 'taste'. This connection explains why the word is fundamentally about something 'tasting' or 'feeling' good to a person.
Examples in context
- Te va a gustar.You're going to like it.This sentence is useful for expressing that someone is going to like something using gustar.Tatoeba #3567391 by hayastan, translation #3345304 by CK
- No le va a gustar.He won't like that.This sentence is useful for expressing that someone will not like something using gustar.Tatoeba #4477291 by Shishir, translation #4474992 by AlanF_US
- Esto no le gustará.He won't like this.This sentence is useful for expressing that someone won't like something in the future using gustar.Tatoeba #2042182 by Shishir, translation #1547504 by CK
- ¡Me gusta tu publicación!I like your post!
- ¿Alguien más le dio me gusta a esta foto?Did anyone else like this photo?
- ¡Dale like si estás de acuerdo!Like this if you agree!
- Esa foto es increíble. ¡Me gusta mucho!That photo is amazing. I like it a lot!
- ¿Te gusta nuestro nuevo logotipo?Do you like our new logo?
- 1122 more sentences on Tatoeba
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry gustar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries gustar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
