5. Gustar and similar verbs
210 doscientos diez Lección 6
¿Le gusta esta camisa?
No, no me gusta. Me gustan éstas. ¿Y a usted?
Me gustan mucho.
}
}
Suggestions. Using visuals, identify a
few of your favorite foods. Poll students,
eliciting responses as to what they like
and dislike (and why).
Point out that in gustar constructions the
definite article is used, and that the sub-
ject usually follows the verb: Me gustan
los niños. Nos gusta la música.
To reinforce the gustar construction, prac-
tice interesar, encantar, and parecer; they
offer a better parallel to English: Your
story interests me. Me interesa tu cuento.
■In previous lessons you have used the verb gustar to express likes and
dislikes. As you have noticed, gustar is not used the same way as the English
verb to like. Gustar is similar to the expression to be pleasing (to someone).
Me gusta ese vestido. I like that dress.
(That dress is pleasing to me.)
■In this construction, the subject is the person or thing that is liked. The
indirect object pronoun shows to whom something is pleasing.
Me I
Te You (familiar)
Le gusta el traje. You (formal), He/She like/s the suit.
Nos We
Os You (familiar)
Les They, You
(formal and familiar)
■Generally, only two forms of gustar are used for the present (gusta,
gustan) and two forms for the preterit (gustó, gustaron). If one person or
thing is liked, use gusta/gustó. If two or more persons or things are liked,
use gustan/gustaron. To express what people like or do not like to do, use
gusta followed by infinitives.
Me gusta ese collar.I like that necklace.
No me gustaron los anillos. I didn’t like the rings.
Nos gusta caminar por la mañana. We like to walk in the morning.
¿No te gusta correr y nadar?Don’t you like to run and swim?
■Some other Spanish verbs that follow the pattern of gustar are encantar
(to delight, to love), interesar (to interest, to matter), parecer (to seem),
and quedar (to fit, to have something left).
