le gustas
/le ɡustas/from spelling rules
In Spanish, the phrase used to say "she likes you" is le gustas.
This phrase is used to state that a woman has a romantic interest in someone. le gustas specifically implies romantic attraction or that you appeal to her.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, le gustas translates to "you are pleasing to her". This is because the verb functions in a way where the person being liked is actually the subject of the sentence.
Which one should you use?
It is important to distinguish between romantic attraction and platonic liking. Use le gustas to express that she is romantically attracted to you, but if you want to say she likes your personality as a friend, you should use le caes bien instead.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina, you may hear the expression le re va to indicate that someone is interested.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form le gustas uses the second-person singular informal conjugation. This means the person being liked is being addressed as the informal "you" (tú).
How do you pronounce it?
/le ɡustas/
Did you know?
- Adding un poquito to le gustas can be a form of flirting or modesty, even when the attraction is actually very intense.
- The word le in this phrase descends from the Latin illī, which was the dative form of ille used to indicate the recipient of an action.
- In many Spanish-speaking regions, people use the verb gustar to describe food or objects being delicious, but when applied to people, it almost always carries a heavy romantic or physical connotation.
Examples in context
- ¡Le gustas!She likes you!This example is useful for expressing the excitement of the statement le gustas.Tatoeba #4482190 by cueyayotl, translation #2439749 by Hybrid
- Juan, creo que a ella le gusta usted.Juan, I think she likes you.
- Me parece que a mi amiga le agrada usted.It seems that my friend likes you.
- Manuel, creo que le gustas a Ana.Manuel, I think Ana likes you.
- Oye, Pablo, a Carolina le caes bien.Hey, Pablo, Carolina likes you.
- Lo sé, le gustas mucho.I know it, she really likes you.
Example conversation
Alejandro is giving advice to his friend about a girl.
- AlejandroCreo que es evidente que le gustas.I think it is evident that she likes you.
- Lucía¿De verdad crees eso, Alejandro?Do you really think that, Alejandro?
- AlejandroSí, ella siempre te busca.Yes, she is always looking for you.
- LucíaGracias por el consejo.Thanks for the advice.
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.
