7.14: Gramática- El verbo gustar + infinitivo

The verb gustar is used to indicate things or activities that you like, but it is a little different in Spanish than in English. You’ll learn more about how gustar and other verbs like it work later, but for now you can see how it is used with infinitives:

As you see, instead of conjugating gustar to match the subject as you do with most verbs, only the third person ending is used along with different pronouns (me, te, le, nos, os, les). Gustar is frequently used in Spanish with infinitives to indicate likes (and dislikes):

• ¿Qué te gusta hacer? (What do you like to do?)
• Me gusta comer en restaurantes buenos. (I like to eat in good restaurants.)
• Te gusta cantar y bailar, ¿no? (You like to sing and dance, right?)
• Nos gusta correr todos los días. (We like to run every day.)
• Le gusta escuchar música. (He likes to listen to music.) or (She likes to listen to music.) or (You [formal] like to listen to music.)
• A usted no le gusta nadar. (You don’t like to swim.)

Useful phrases when talking about things you like or dislike:

• A mí me gusta… (I like to…; the “a mí” phrase is added for emphasis or clarification.)
• Me gusta ( ) más. (I like to (activity) more.)
• Me gusta mucho. (I like it a lot.)
• A mí también. (Me too / I do too.)
• No me gusta… (I don’t like to…)
• No me gusta nada ( ). (I don’t like to (activity) at all.)
• A mí tampoco. (Me neither / I don’t either.)
• ¿Qué te gusta hacer? (What do you like to do?)
• ¿Te gusta…? (Do you like to…?)
• ¿Y a ti? (And you?)
• ni (neither, nor)
• o (or)
• sí (yes)
• con (with)
• y (and)
• pero (but)