THE VERB GUSTAR
Page 1: Expressing Likes and Dislikes
Introduction to the topic of expressing preferences in Spanish.
Page 2: El Verbo "GUSTAR"
Meaning: In Spanish, "gustar" means "to be pleasing."
English Equivalent: The equivalent term in English is "to like."
Page 3: Example of Usage
In English: "I like Spanish."
In Spanish: "To me, Spanish is pleasing."
Page 4: Subject, Verb, and Object Structure
In English:
"I" is the subject.
"like" is the verb.
"the beach" is the direct object.
In Spanish:
"the beach" is the subject.
"to please" is the verb.
"me" is the indirect object.
Page 5: Word Order in Spanish
The structure of sentences in Spanish is different:
Indirect object comes first: "Me"
Then the verb: "gusta"
Finally, the subject: "la playa."
Page 6: Pronouns of Likes
Who is doing the liking?
(A mí) me – to me
(A nosotros) nos – to us
(A ti) te – to you
A él le – to him
A ella le – to her
A ellos les (masc.) – To them
A ellas les (fem.) – To them
Page 7: Clarification with Prepositional Phrases
Example: "Le gusta la casa."
Interpretation can be ambiguous: He likes the house or She likes the house.
Use of prepositional phrase for clarity:
"A él le gusta la casa" (He likes the house).
"A ella le gusta la casa" (She likes the house).
Adding names clarifies: "A Juan le gusta la casa" and "A Laura le gusta la casa."
Page 8: Emphasis in Likes
Prepositional phrase for emphasis:
Example 1: "A Juan le gusta el café" (John likes coffee).
Example 2: "A mí me gusta el té" (I like tea).
Emphasis contrasts preferences: "Me, I like tea."
Page 9: Conjugation of "gustar"
Forms of "gustar":
(A mí) me gusta… I like…
(A ti) te gusta… You like…
A él le gusta… He likes…
A ella le gusta… She likes…
(A nosotros) nos gusta… We like…
A ellos les gusta… They (masc.) like…
A ellas les gusta… They (fem.) like…
Page 10: Expressing Preferences
Expressions for affirming preferences:
(A mí) me gusta… I like to …
(A mí) me gusta más… I like to … more
(A mí) me gusta mucho… I like to … a lot
Affirmative responses: A mí también. – Me too.
Negative expressions: (A mí) no me gusta … I don’t like to …
(A mí) no me gusta nada… I don’t like to … at all
A mí tampoco. – Me neither.
Page 11: Asking About Likes
Questions about preferences:
¿Qué te gusta hacer? – What do you like to do?
¿Qué te gusta más? – What do you like more?
¿Te gusta …? – Do you like to …?
¿Y a ti? – And you?
Useful expressions:
ni … ni – neither … nor
o – or
pues … – well …
sí – yes
también – also, too
y – and
Page 12: Reiteration of Preferences
Repeat of preference expressions:
(A mí) me gusta … I like to …
(A mí) me gusta más… I like to … more
(A mí) me gusta mucho… I like to … a lot
Affirmative response: A mí también. – I do too.
Page 13: Expressing Dislikes
Expressions for negative preferences:
(A mí) no me gusta … I don’t like to …
(A mí) no me gusta nada… I don’t like to … at all
Negative response: A mí tampoco. – Me neither.
Page 14 & 15: Repeating Questions About Likes
Questions about preferences:
¿Qué te gusta hacer? – What do you like to do?
¿Qué te gusta más? – What do you like more?
¿Te gusta …? – Do you like to …?
¿Y a ti? – And you?
The questions emphasize understanding the preferences of others.