A1
gustar — the verb that runs backwards
How gustar works in Spanish, why the person liking is an indirect object, and the other verbs that behave the same way.
Gustar does not mean to like. It means to please, and the sentence is built the other way round from English.
Me gusta el café.
to-me pleases the coffee
I like coffee.
The coffee is the subject. Me is the person it pleases. Nothing in the sentence is doing any liking.
The verb agrees with the thing, not the person
Me gustan los libros.
to-me please the books
I like books.
Plural thing, plural verb. In practice only two forms are ever needed: gusta for one thing or an activity, gustan for several.
Me gustan el café.
Me gusta el café.
El café is singular, so the verb is singular. The person has no influence on it at all.
The pronouns
Me, te, le, nos, os, les. These are indirect object pronouns, and gustar is where most learners meet them first — before ever needing them for anything else.
| me gusta | I like |
| te gusta | you like |
| le gusta | he / she likes, you like |
| nos gusta | we like |
| les gusta | they like |
A mí, a ti for emphasis or clarity
Le gusta could be him, her or you, so Spanish adds the phrase when it matters.
A mí me gusta, pero a ella no.
to me to-me pleases, but to her not
I like it, but she doesn’t.
Both a mí and me appear. The doubling is normal and not redundant.
With a verb, always singular
Me gusta leer.
to-me pleases to-read
I like reading.
Even with two activities: me gusta leer y escribir.
Other verbs work the same way
Encantar (to love), interesar, importar, doler (to hurt), faltar, parecer.
Me duele la cabeza.
to-me hurts the head
I’ve got a headache.