The verb gustar literally means to be pleasing to but it is most commonly translated as to like in English. ‘ I like this hotel’ becomes Me gusta este hotel (literally, ‘This hotel is pleasing to me’). To talk about what other people like or dislike, use the appropriate indirect object pronoun form in front of the verb. To whom is something pleasing?
 

When you are describing your own likes and dislikes, use the indirect object pronoun me before the verb. Generally, gustar is used in just two ways: gusta (for one thing that is pleasing) or gustan (for more than one thing that is pleasing): Me gusta el restaurante; Me gustan los tacos. To say that you don't like something, place a no in front of the verb: No me gusta el hotel; No me gustan las enchiladas. Avoid using gustar to talk about liking people, as it has sexual connotations in some regions. A more appropriate expression for this will be presented in a later lesson.

What is pleasing? ¿El hotel? Me gusta el hotel, Te gusta el hotel, Le gusta el hotel, Nos gusta el hotel, Os gusta el hotel, Les gusta el hotel. ¿Los tacos? Me gustan los tacos, Te gustan los tacos, Le gustan los tacos, Nos gustan los tacos, Os gustan los tacos, Les gustan los tacos. Notice that the verb form, gusta or gustan, agrees in singular or plural with its grammatical subject, the thing or things that are pleasing, not with the person that is pleased. Finally, when a verb follows gustar, it will be in the infinitive: Me gusta comer tacos.

Several other common verbs in Spanish follow the same pattern as gustar. Click here to see a list of these verbs and some examples.

Examples of Gustar

• Me gustaría comer algo mexicano.