What does it mean word for word?
Literally, me gusta translates to 'it pleases me'. In this structure, the thing being liked is actually the subject of the sentence, rather than the person who has the feeling.
Which one should you use?
The form of the verb changes based on the object being liked. Use gusta when the thing being liked is singular, but switch to gustan if the things being liked are plural.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The verb molar is a slang term used in Spain and some Latin American countries.
How does it change in a sentence?
Because the thing being liked is the subject, the person doing the liking is expressed through indirect object pronouns. To say 'you like' (informal), change the 'me' to 'te' to get te gusta. To say 'he likes', 'she likes' or 'you (formal) like', use le gusta.
How do you pronounce it?
/me ˈɡusta/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using the subject pronoun 'Yo' (I) with this verb, such as saying Yo gusto la música. Instead, you must use the indirect object pronoun 'me' with 'gusta'.
Did you know?
- The word encantar used for strong likes comes from the word for 'enchantment' or 'casting a spell'.
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, if you want to say you 'like' someone romantically, you would use the verb gustar, but be careful: saying me gustas can sound much more flirtatious than just saying you enjoy their company.
- In Spain, the slang word molar originally referred to the act of grinding grain, but it evolved into a way to say something is 'cool'.
Examples in context
- Él me gusta y yo le gusto a él.I like him and he likes me.This sentence demonstrates how to express reciprocal liking between two people using me gusta.Tatoeba #8346015 by diegohn, translation #5815997 by Hybrid
- Esta imagen recibió muchos "Me gusta".This picture got a lot of likes.This sentence shows how me gusta is used in the context of social media 'likes'.Tatoeba #2784955 by wallebot, translation #2774803 by Hybrid
- Le gusta viajar. A mí me gusta también.He likes traveling and so do I.This sentence uses me gusta to express a shared interest in traveling.Tatoeba #329738 by cueyayotl, translation #374762 by shirayuki
- Me gusta el chocolate.I like chocolate.
- Le gustan las películas de acción.He/She likes action movies.
- Me encanta la música.I love music.
- Le encantan los perros.He/She loves dogs.
- ¡Me mola esta canción!I really like this song!
- Le molan las series de televisión.He/She really likes TV series.
- Me chifla la comida mexicana.I love Mexican food.
- Le chiflan los deportes extremos.He/She loves extreme sports.
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and Lucía are deciding what to eat for lunch.
- DanielMe gusta la comida italiana.I like Italian food.
- Lucía¿A ti te gusta la pasta?Do you like pasta?
- DanielSí, me gusta mucho.Yes, I like it a lot.
- LucíaPerfecto, vamos a ese restaurante.Perfect, let's go to that restaurant.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry me gusta, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
