El verbo «gustar»
El verbo «gustar» means “'gustar' (to like) works backwards: the thing liked is the subject”. Gustar does not work like English 'to like'. Formation: me / te / le / nos / os / les + gusta + N sg / infinitivo · gustan + N pl
'gustar' (to like) works backwards: the thing liked is the subject
A1Formation
me / te / le / nos / os / les + gusta + N sg / infinitivo · gustan + N pl
Explanation
Gustar does not work like English 'to like'. Literally it means 'to be pleasing to', so the thing you like is the grammatical subject and the person is an indirect object pronoun: Me gusta el café ('coffee is pleasing to me'). Use gusta with a singular noun or an infinitive, and gustan with a plural noun: Me gustan los libros. To stress the person, add a mí, a ti…: A mí me gusta el té.
Examples
Note
Other verbs behave the same way: encantar, doler, interesar — Me duele la cabeza.
FAQ
El verbo «gustar» — what does it mean and how is it used?
'gustar' (to like) works backwards: the thing liked is the subject. Gustar does not work like English 'to like'. Literally it means 'to be pleasing to', so the thing you like is the grammatical subject and the person is an indirect object pronoun: Me gusta el café ('coffee is pleasing to me'). Use gusta with a singular noun or an infinitive, and gustan with a plural noun: Me gustan los libros. To stress the person, add a mí, a ti…: A mí me gusta el té.
El verbo «gustar» — how do you form it?
me / te / le / nos / os / les + gusta + N sg / infinitivo · gustan + N pl
El verbo «gustar» — any usage notes?
Other verbs behave the same way: encantar, doler, interesar — Me duele la cabeza.