7.4 Spanish Lesson 7.4: Gustar and Verbs Like Gustar

Lección 7: ¡Me molesta!

Goal: Talk about my likes and preferences

7.4 Gustar and Verbs Like Gustar

The usage of the verb gustar is central to expressing preferences in Spanish. Unlike the English verb "to like," which focuses on the person doing the liking, gustar focuses on the object that is being liked. The transcript identifies this as a "Tutorial" section labeled S on page 160 (ciento sesenta).

The Fundamental Concept and Literal Meaning

The literal meaning of gustar is to be pleasing to (someone).

• Me gusta ese champú.

  • Literal: That shampoo is pleasing to me.

  • Equivalency: I like that shampoo.

• ¿Te gustan los deportes?

  • Literal: Are sports pleasing to you?

  • Equivalency: Do you like sports?

Grammatical Structure and Logic

In Spanish, expressions using gustar and similar verbs require an indirect object pronoun. The grammar operates differently than English:

1. The Subject: The object or thing being liked (e.g., el champú) is the subject of the sentence.

2. The Indirect Object: The person who likes the object is the indirect object. This answers the question: "To whom is the primary subject pleasing?"

Conjugation and Agreement Rules

Gustar and similar verbs are generally restricted to the third-person singular and third-person plural forms. The verb must always agree with the subject (the thing liked), not the person who likes it.

Number Agreement

• Singular: Use gusta (present) or gustó (preterite) when the object or person liked is singular.

  • Examples of subjects: la película, el concierto.

• Plural: Use gustan (present) or gustaron (preterite) when two or more objects or persons are liked.

  • Examples of subjects: las computadoras, los libros.

Summary Table of Forms

Expressing Likes Regarding Actions (Infinitives)

To express what someone likes or dislikes doing, the singular form gusta is always used, followed by one or more infinitives.

• Single Action: Me gusta levantarme tarde. (I like to get up late.)

• Multiple Actions: Me gusta comer y dormir. (I like to eat and sleep.)

Prepositional Phrases for Clarification and Emphasis

Because pronouns like le and les can be ambiguous (referring to "him," "her," "you formal," or "them"), or when a speaker simply wants to emphasize their point, the construction a + [personal pronoun] or a + [noun] is used.

Prepositional Pronouns Used with "a":

• a mí (me)

• a ti (you fam.)

• a usted (you form.)

• a él / a ella (him / her)

• a nosotros/as (us)

• a vosotros/as (you all, Spain)

• a ustedes (you all)

• a ellos / a ellas (them)

Usage Examples:

• Emphasis: A mí me gusta levantarme temprano. ¿Y a ti? (I like to get up early. How about you?)

• Clarification: Al profesor le gustó el libro. (The teacher liked the book.)

The Conditional: "Would Like"

To express the English equivalent of would like (to express desires or polite requests), use the following formula:

$[\text{Indirect Object Pronoun}] + \text{gustaría(n)}$

• Example (Infinitive): ¿Te gustaría ver esa película? (Would you like to see that movie?)

• Example (Noun): Me gustarían unos días sin clases. (I would like a few days without class.)

Vocabulary: Verbs Like Gustar

The following verbs function exactly like gustar, requiring indirect object pronouns and agreeing with the object/subject:

• aburrir: to bore

• encantar: to like very much; to love (used for objects or activities)

• faltar: to lack; to need

• fascinar: to fascinate; to like very much

• importar: to be important to; to matter

• interesar: to be interesting to; to interest

• molestar: to bother; to annoy

• quedar: to be left over; to fit (referring specifically to how clothing fits a person)

Contextual Commentary

• The exclamation "¡Me molesta!" (It bothers/annoys me!) serves as the title of the lesson.

• The phrase "¡Me encantan sus pantuflas!" (I love your slippers!) illustrates the use of encantar with a plural subject (pantuflas).