Spanish vocabulary · Beginner
How to Say You Like in Spanish: Te Gusta
Te Gusta · verb · teh GOO-stah
The Spanish expression for 'you like' is 'te gusta' (informal) or 'le gusta' (formal/usted). The verb gustar works differently from English—it literally means 'to be pleasing to,' so the structure flips: the thing liked is the grammatical subject. This is one of the most important constructions for beginners to master.
Te gusta is pronounced teh GOO-stah. The 'u' in gusta is a clear 'oo' sound and the stress falls on 'goo'. When asking a question, the intonation rises at the end.
¿Te gusta la música clásica o prefieres el rock?
Do you like classical music or do you prefer rock?
You Like in Spanish: Quick Reference
Below are the most common Spanish words for you like, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation | Region / Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| te gusta | you like | teh GOO-stah | Default, widely understood |
| le gusta | you like | formal 'you like' (usted) | |
| te gustan | you like | plural objects liked |
How Native Speakers Use Te Gusta
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
Asking about preferences
¿Te gusta cocinar o prefieres salir a comer?
Do you like cooking or do you prefer eating out?
A casual question about personal preferences between two options.
Plural objects
¿Te gustan los perros o los gatos?
Do you like dogs or cats?
When the liked thing is plural, gustar changes to 'gustan' to agree with the plural subject.
Formal register
¿Le gusta el café, señor García?
Do you like coffee, Mr. García?
Using 'le gusta' with usted for formal or respectful address.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Te Gusta
Applying English word order
Incorrect: Tú gustas la pizza.
Correct: Te gusta la pizza.
Gustar does not follow English 'subject + verb + object' order. The thing liked (la pizza) is the grammatical subject, and the person who likes it is expressed with an indirect object pronoun (te).
Forgetting plural agreement
Incorrect: Te gusta los libros.
Correct: Te gustan los libros.
When the thing being liked is plural (los libros), gustar must also be plural (gustan), since the liked thing is the grammatical subject of the sentence.
Lock in You Like Vocabulary with the Parrot Method
Why word lists alone don't stick
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See Te Gusta used by native speakers
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Common Questions About You Like in Spanish
- Why does Spanish say 'te gusta' instead of 'tú gustas'?
- The verb gustar literally means 'to be pleasing to,' so the sentence structure flips—'te gusta el chocolate' literally translates to 'chocolate is pleasing to you,' making the chocolate the subject and you the indirect object, which is why the pronoun 'te' is used instead of 'tú'.
- When do I use te gusta vs te gustan?
- Use 'te gusta' when the thing liked is singular or an infinitive verb (te gusta bailar), and 'te gustan' when the things liked are plural (te gustan las flores)—the verb agrees with the thing being liked, not with the person doing the liking.
- How do I say 'I like you' in Spanish?
- To say 'I like you' (romantically or as a person), you say 'me gustas' where 'tú' becomes the subject that is pleasing and 'me' is the indirect object pronoun—this is one of the few cases where a person is the subject of gustar.