te gusta
/te ɡusta/from spelling rules
The English phrase "you like him" is translated into Spanish as te gusta.
This phrase is used to make a statement telling someone that they have a positive feeling toward a male person.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "he is pleasing to you". In this construction, the person being liked functions as the subject of the sentence.
How do you pronounce it?
/te ɡusta/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly try to use gustar like the English verb "to like" by making the person the subject. However, Tú lo gustas is grammatically incorrect in Spanish.
Did you know?
- While te gusta describes a general liking, using the phrase te cae bien is more common when you mean you like someone's personality or find them pleasant to be around.
- In many Spanish-speaking regions, if someone says me gustas instead of te gusta, they have accidentally switched from talking about him to flirting with you.
- While te gusta refers to a person, the verb gustar can also be used as a reflexive verb gustarse to mean that someone is conceited or 'likes themselves' too much.
Examples in context
- Sé que te gusta él.I know you like him.Tatoeba #3160367 by cueyayotl, translation #2751492 by Hybrid
- Él te gusta, ¿verdad?You like him, don't you?Tatoeba #1876488 by Shishir, translation #535850 by CK
- Yo supongo que te gusta él.I suppose you like him.Tatoeba #1324742 by marcelostockle, translation #69041 by CK
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Elena and Daniel are talking about a new coworker.
- DanielTe gusta el chico nuevo, ¿no?You like the new guy, right?
- ElenaNo estoy segura, es solo amable.I'm not sure, he is just friendly.
- DanielNo mientas, se nota que te gusta.Don't lie, it's obvious that you like him.
- ElenaEstá bien, me gusta un poco.Alright, I like him a little.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
