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Gustar and encantar: saying what you like

One of the first things learners want to say is “I like it.” In Spanish, gustar is the verb for that, but it does not work the way “like” does in English. Once you understand the small shift in thinking, it opens up a whole group of useful verbs, including encantar (to love).

The big idea: it pleases me

Instead of “I like the book,” Spanish says something closer to “the book is pleasing to me”: Me gusta el libro. The thing you like is the grammatical subject, and the person who likes it is shown with a small pronoun. That is why the verb agrees with what you like, not with who does the liking.

The pronouns

Singular or plural?

The verb has only two forms in everyday use, gusta and gustan. Use gusta when what you like is one thing, and gustan when it is more than one: Me gusta la pizza. Me gustan las pizzas.

Liking an action

When you like doing something, use the infinitive and keep the verb singular, even if you list several activities: Me gusta caminar. Me gusta leer y escribir. The infinitive acts as one idea.

Adding who: a mí, a ti, a ella

To emphasize or clarify who likes something, add a plus a person at the start of the sentence. The pronoun stays too: A mí me gusta el té, pero a ti te gusta el café. A María le gustan los perros. A mis amigos les gusta bailar. This is very useful for le and les, which could mean several people.

Encantar: love it

Encantar works exactly like gustar, but it is stronger: Me encanta la música. Me encantan los perros. Nos encanta viajar. Because the word already means “love,” you usually do not add mucho to it.

How much you like something

Other verbs that work the same way

Common mistakes

A practice idea

Each time you collect a noun in the game, say whether you like it: Me gusta el libro. No me gustan las arañas. Within a few days, the pattern will feel automatic.

Why this pattern matters

Gustar is one of the first verbs most learners need, and it is also one of the first places where Spanish stops mirroring English. Because the thing you like is the subject, the verb has to agree with it, not with you. That feels backward for a few days, and then it clicks. Once it does, you have a pattern that covers a whole group of verbs, so the effort pays off many times over, in conversations about food, music, hobbies, school, and anything else you might like or dislike.

Asking and answering questions

The natural way to ask someone what they like is to use the te form: ¿Te gusta el fútbol? ¿Qué música te gusta? To answer, repeat the verb in the same pattern: Sí, me gusta, or No, no me gusta. To ask about someone you address formally or about a group, change the pronoun: ¿Le gusta el café? or ¿Les gustan los deportes? A good habit is to ask and answer a few questions aloud each day, using the nouns you collected in the game, until the pattern feels natural.

Comparing likes with a friend

The a mí and a ti forms are perfect for comparing opinions: A mí me gusta la playa, pero a ti te gusta la montaña. Try writing three sentences like this about yourself and a friend or family member. It forces you to use the pronoun, the verb, and the person together, which is exactly where beginners tend to stumble. If you can, practice with a partner and take turns asking each other what you like.

Keep learning

Spanish verbs · Conjugation and the infinitive · Common mistakes · Full vocabulary list · All guides

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