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 us

te = to you/for you os = to you/for you

le = to him/for him les = to them/for them

(her; you) (you)

7.4 Gustar and verbs like gustar

ENGLISH EQUIVALENTI like that shampoo.

Me gusta ese champú. LITERAL MEANINGThat 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 SUBJECTOBJECT

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 gustar

Other 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 gustar

7. 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.