les gusta
/les ɡusta/from spelling rules
In Spanish, the phrase "they like" is expressed as les gusta.
This phrase is used to say that a group of people find something pleasant or appealing.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "it is pleasing to them". The word les is an indirect object pronoun meaning "to them", which is required to indicate who is experiencing the pleasure.
Which one should you use?
If the things they like are plural, you must change the verb to les gustan (e.g., Les gustan los libros). Adding a ellos before les gusta is a common way to add emphasis or to clarify that les refers specifically to "them" and not to "you all" or "him/her".
How do you pronounce it?
/les ɡusta/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly say ellos gustan by translating "they" directly, but in Spanish, the subject of the sentence is actually the thing being liked, not the people.
Did you know?
- While les gusta describes a preference, Spanish speakers often use the phrase les encanta to express a stronger feeling, which translates more closely to 'they love' than 'they like very much'.
- If you are speaking to a group of people in Spain, you might hear os gusta instead of les gusta. While both mean 'you all like', the latter is more common in Latin America, whereas os is the standard informal form in Spain.
- If the group being referred to is mixed gender, the pronouns used for clarification, such as a ellos, remain masculine even if the group contains only one man and many women.
Examples in context
- Les gusta el jazz.They like jazz.This sentence is useful for showing how to express a preference for a singular concept like jazz using les gusta.Tatoeba #4482213 by cueyayotl, translation #2851601 by Amastan
- Les gusta la nieve.They like snow.This sentence is useful for showing how to express a preference for a singular concept like snow using les gusta.Tatoeba #4482230 by cueyayotl, translation #2858661 by Amastan
- Les gusta la fruta.They like fruit.This sentence is useful for showing how to express a preference for a singular concept like fruit using les gusta.Tatoeba #4482660 by cueyayotl, translation #3326989 by pne
- A ellos les gusta el chocolate.They like chocolate.
- A ellos les agrada la música clásica.They like classical music.
- Les gusta ir al cine.They like going to the movies.
- A ellos les mola el fútbol.They like soccer.
- 31 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Mateo are talking about their parents' tastes in food.
- LucíaA mis padres les gusta la pasta.My parents like pasta.
- MateoA los míos no les gusta.Mine don't like it.
- Lucía¿Y qué comida les gusta a ellos?And what food do they like?
- MateoA ellos les gusta el arroz.They like rice.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
