What does it mean word for word?
Literally, le gusta translates to "it is pleasing to her".
Which one should you use?
The form le gusta is inherently ambiguous and can mean "she likes", "he likes" or "you (formal) like" depending on the context. To emphasize that it is specifically her who likes the thing, you can use the phrase a ella le gusta.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, you might hear the colloquial and informal le mola to express preferences. You may also hear le chifla in Spain as an informal way to denote a great affection for an object or an activity.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb must change to le gustan if the things she likes are plural.
How do you pronounce it?
/le ɡusta/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying ella gusta to mean "she likes". This is a common error. You must use the indirect object pronoun to say le gusta.
Did you know?
- The colloquial expression le mola is specific to Spain and would be misunderstood or sound very strange to speakers in Latin America.
- The word le stems from the Latin word illī, which was the dative form of 'that person'. This is why the phrase functions as 'it is pleasing to her' rather than a direct action.
- While le gusta is used for general preferences, the verb encantar is used when she likes something so much that she loves it. It follows the same grammatical structure as le gusta but conveys a much stronger emotion.
Examples in context
- A ella le gusta.She likes him.This sentence is useful for practicing the phrase le gusta with a person.Tatoeba #1330718 by Shishir, translation #887271 by CK
- Le gusta el jazz.She likes jazz.This sentence shows how to use le gusta with a genre of music.Tatoeba #4482210 by cueyayotl, translation #2851593 by Amastan
- Le gusta la nieve.She likes ice cream.This sentence demonstrates how to use le gusta with a specific object.Tatoeba #4482228 by cueyayotl, translation #650986 by CK
- A ella le gusta bailar.She likes to dance.
- A mi mamá le agrada la música clásica.My mom likes classical music.
- A mi hermana le encanta leer.My sister loves to read.
- A Cristina le mola el fútbol.Cristina likes soccer.
- A Juanita le chifla la playa.Juanita loves the beach.
- 123 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and Sofía are talking about a friend's new hobby.
- Mateo¿Crees que a María le gusta pintar?Do you think María likes to paint?
- SofíaSí, le gusta mucho el arte moderno.Yes, she likes modern art a lot.
- MateoQuizás podamos regalarle unos pinceles.Maybe we can give her some brushes.
- SofíaEs una buena idea, le gusta dibujar.That is a good idea, she likes to draw.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries le, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
