lo que me gusta hacer
/lo ke me ɡusta aθeɾ/from spelling rules
The English phrase "what I like to do" is translated into Spanish as lo que me gusta hacer.
This phrase is used to describe activities or hobbies that a person enjoys. Depending on the level of enthusiasm, you might use related expressions: Me gusta for "I like", Me encanta for "I love", Me apasiona for "I'm passionate about" or Disfruto for "I enjoy". You can also qualify how often you do these things using words like Siempre (always) or A menudo (often).
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of lo que (that which/what), me gusta (it pleases me) and hacer (to do).
How does it change in a sentence?
If the activity being discussed is already understood from the context, you can omit the verb hacer and simply say lo que me gusta.
How do you pronounce it?
/lo ke me ɡusta aθeɾ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying lo que yo gusto hacer. English speakers often make this mistake by trying to translate "I like" directly as a subject-verb relationship, but in Spanish, you should use me gusta instead.
Did you know?
- The English word 'gesture' is a distant relative of the Spanish verb hacer. Both words trace back to ancient roots involving the idea of performing or making an action.
- If a Spanish speaker says Me apasiona instead of Me gusta, they are not just saying they like a hobby, but that they are literally 'passion-stricken' by it.
Examples in context
- Me gusta leerI like to read
- Me encanta cocinarI love to cook
- Me gusta ir al cineI like going to the movies
- Me gusta salir con amigosI like going out with friends
- Me encanta leer novelasI love reading novels
- Me gusta mucho bailarI really like to dance
- Me encanta siempre jugar al fútbolI always love playing soccer
- Me apasiona la fotografíaI'm passionate about photography
- Disfruto nadandoI enjoy swimming
- Me gusta siempre jugar videojuegosI always like to play video games
- Lo que me gusta hacer es leer.What I like to do is read.
- Lo que me gusta hacer es viajar.What I like to do is travel.
- No sé lo que me gusta hacer en mi tiempo libre.I don't know what I like to do in my free time.
Example conversation
Mateo and Elena are talking about their free time.
- MateoHola Elena, ¿qué haces los fines de semana?Hi Elena, what do you do on weekends?
- ElenaPinto cuadros, es lo que me gusta hacer.I paint pictures, it is what I like to do.
- Mateo¡Qué interesante! Yo prefiero hacer deporte.How interesting! I prefer to play sports.
- ElenaCada persona tiene sus propios pasatiempos.Everyone has their own hobbies.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hacer, lo, me, que, CC BY-SA 4.0.
