7.4 Gustar and verbs like gustar
Lección 7.4
Verbs that use indirect object pronouns
7.4 Gustar and verbs like gustar Gustar and verbs like gustar use the third person
singular and plural forms of the verb in any tense. In other words, we do not conjugate all of the
forms, as with other verbs. With these types of verbs, you must know the conjugations of the verbs in the (Ud., él, ella) and (Uds. ellos, ellas) forms.
i.e. gusta gustan encanta encantan gustó gustaron encantó encantaron
7.4 Gustar and verbs like gustar You also need to know the indirect object pronouns:
me, te, le, nos, os, les.
This is because gustar and verbs like gustar are preceded by an indirect object pronoun to indicate to whom or for whom the action is intended.
SINGULAR PLURAL
me= to me/for me nos= to us/for uste = to you/for you os = to you/for youle = to him/for him les = to them/for them
(her; you) (you)
7.4 Gustar and verbs like gustarENGLISH EQUIVALENTI like that shampoo.
Me gusta ese champú. LITERAL MEANING
That shampoo is pleasing to me.
ENGLISH EQUIVALENTDid you like the classes?
¿Te gustaron las clases? LITERAL MEANINGWere the classes pleasing to
you?
7.4 Gustar and verbs like gustar As the examples show, the construction me gusta(n) does not
have a direct equivalent in English. The literal meaning of this construction is to be pleasing to (someone), and it requires the use of an indirect object pronoun.
INDIRECT OBJECT DIRECT PRONOUN SUBJECT SUBJECT OBJECT
Me gusta ese champú. I like that shampoo.
In the diagram above, observe how in the Spanish sentence the object being liked (ese champú) is really the subject of the sentence. The person who likes the object, in turn, is an indirect object because it answers the question:
To whom is the shampoo pleasing?
7.4 Gustar and verbs like gustar I like the classes. S V D.O.
The classes are pleasing to me. S V I.O.
Sentences with gustar and verbs like gustar are like backwards sentences.
Me gustan las clases. I.O. Verb Subject
7.4 Gustar and verbs like gustar The forms most commonly used with gustar and similar verbs are
the third person (singular and plural). When the object or person being liked is singular, the singular form
gustar is used. When two or more objects or persons are being liked, the plural
form or gustar is used.
gusta la película
SINGULAR me, te, le gustó el concierto
PLURAL nos, os, les gustan las vacaciones
gustaron los museos de Lima
7.4 Gustar and verbs like gustar In negative sentences, the word “no” comes
before the indirect object pronoun:
Me gustan las clases. No me gustan las clases.
Nos gusta estudiar. No nos gusta estudiar.
7.4 Gustar and verbs like gustar To express what someone likes or does not like
to do, gustar is followed by an infinitive.
If followed by any number of infinitive verbs, the singular form of the verb is always used.
Me gusta cantar. Me gusta cantar y bailar.
7.4 Gustar and verbs like gustar NEVER use subject pronouns (Yo, Tú, Ud., Él, Ella, Nosotros,
Vosotros, Uds., Ellos, Ellas) with verbs like gustar. This is because what we usually think of as the subject becomes the object.
Instead, the construction a + [pronoun] (a mí, a ti, a usted, a él, etc.) is used to clarify or to emphasize who is pleased. It can go before the verb gustar or after it.
A ella le gustan las toallas verdes, pero a él no le gustan. She likes green towels, but he doesn’t like them.
A ti te gusta cenar en casa, pero no me gusta a mí. You like to eat dinner at home, but I don’t like to.
7.4 Gustar and verbs like gustar
¡ATENCIÓN! Mí (me) has an accent mark to distinguish it from the
possessive adjective mi (my).
7.4 Gustar and verbs like gustar
The construction a + [noun] can also be used before the indirect object pronoun to clarify or to emphasize who is pleased.
A los turistas les gustó mucho Machu Picchu. The tourists liked Machu Picchu a lot.
A Juanita le gustaron mucho los mercados al aire libre.Juanita liked the open-air markets a lot.
7.4 Gustar and verbs like gustarOther verbs like gustar
aburrir to bore
encantar to like very much; to love (inanimate objects)
faltar to lack; to be missing
fascinar to fascinate
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 (clothing)
7.4 Gustar and verbs like gustar¡ATENCIÓN! Faltar expresses what is lacking or missing.
Me falta una página. I’m missing one page.
Quedar expresses how much of something is left.
Nos quedan tres pesos. We have three pesos left.
Quedar also means to fit. It’s also used to tell how something looks (on someone).
Estos zapatos me quedan bien. These shoes fit me well.
Esa camisa te queda muy bien. Te queda muy bien esa camisa.That shirt looks good on you.
7.4 Gustar and verbs like gustar
Infinitive gustar
aburrir
encantar
Present and Preterite Forms gusta; gustan gustó; gustaron
aburre; aburren aburrió; aburrieron
encanta; encantan encantó; encantaron
7.4 Gustar and verbs like gustar
Infinitive faltar
fascinar
importar
Present and Preterite Forms falta; faltan faltó; faltaron
fascina; fascinan fascinó; fascinaron
importa; importan importó; importaron
7.4 Gustar and verbs like gustar
Infinitive interesar
molestar
quedar
Present and Preterite Forms interesa; interesan interesó; interesaron
molesta; molestan molestó; molestaron
queda; quedan quedó; quedaron
7.4 Gustar and verbs like gustar
1. A él ____ viajar. 2. A mí ____ bailar. 3. A nosotros ____ cantar. 4. A ustedes ____ leer. 5. A ti ____ correr. 6. A Pedro ____ gritar.
1. A él le gusta viajar. 2. A mí me gusta bailar. 3. A nosotros nos gusta cantar. 4. A ustedes les gusta leer. 5. A ti te gusta correr. 6. A Pedro le gusta gritar.
¡INTÉNTALO! Indica el pronombre del objeto indirecto y la forma del tiempo presente adecuados en cada frase.
gustar
7.4 Gustar and verbs like gustar7. A mis padres ____ caminar. 8. A usted ____ jugar al tenis. 9. A mi esposo y a mí ____ dormir.10. A Alberto ____ dibujar. 11. A todos ____ viajar. 12. A Juan no ____ ir de compras.
7. A mis padres les gusta caminar. 8. A usted le gusta jugar al tenis. 9. A mi esposo y a mí nos gusta dormir.10. A Alberto le gusta dibujar. 11. A todos les gusta viajar. 12. A Juan no le gusta ir de compras.
7.4 Gustar and verbs like gustar
1. A ellos ____ los deportes.2. A ti ____ las películas.3. A usted ____ los viajes.4. A mí ____ las revistas.5. A Jorge y a Luis ____ los
perros.6. A nosotros ____ las
vacaciones.
1. A ellos les encantan los deportes.2. A ti te encantan las películas.3. A usted le encantan los viajes.4. A mí me encantan las revistas.5. A Jorge y a Luis les encantan los perros.6. A nosotros nos encantan las vacaciones.
encantar
7.4 Gustar and verbs like gustar 7. A ustedes ____ las
fiestas. 8. A Marcela ____ los
libros.
9. A mis amigos ____ los museos.
10. A ella ____ el ciclismo. 11. A Pedro ____ el regalo. 12. A ti y a mí ____ el baile.
7. A ustedes les encantan las fiestas.
8. A Marcela le encantan los libros.
9. A mis amigos les encantan los museos.
10. A ella le encanta el ciclismo. 11. A Pedro le encanta el regalo. 12. A ti y a mí nos encanta el baile.