Ways to say it
| Spanish |
|---|
| (a él) le gustaría |
| (él) gustaría de |
Spanish uses different constructions to express 'would like' depending on whether you are expressing a personal preference or making a request. For example, me gustaría is used when expressing personal preferences or desires, while quisiera is commonly employed when making requests or asking for assistance.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb gustaría is the conditional form of 'gustar' and is used to express 'would like'. Because 'gustar' functions like 'to be pleasing to', you must use an indirect object pronoun before the verb. For example, to say 'I would like', use the pronoun 'me' to get me gustaría and to say 'he/she would like', use the pronoun 'le' to get le gustaría.
What mistakes should you avoid?
When saying 'he would like', avoid using the subject pronoun 'él' directly with the verb. Instead of él gustaría, you must use the indirect object pronoun 'le' to say le gustaría.
Did you know?
- If you say me gustaría to describe a person you find attractive, you are saying they 'would be pleasing' to you, which can sound more romantic than a simple 'I like'.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, using quisiera instead of me gustaría is a way to soften a request, making it sound more polite and less demanding than a direct command.
- The word le in le gustaría traces its roots back to the Latin 'illī', which was the dative form of 'ille'.
Examples in context
- Quisiera reservar una mesa para dos, por favor.I would like to make a reservation for two, please.
- Me gustaría información sobre los productos que ofrecen.I would like information about the products you offer.
- Me gustaría salir a pasear esta tarde.I would like to go for a walk this afternoon.
- (A él) le gustaría viajar por el mundo.He would like to travel the world.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “would like” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, le, CC BY-SA 4.0.
