Introduction
Gustar means “to like, to be pleasing to”, and it is one of the verbs you will use every day in Spanish. Gustar is how Spanish expresses liking, and it works backwards from English: the thing you like is the subject, and you are the indirect object. Me gusta el café means the coffee pleases me, which is how Spanish says I like coffee. When you like several things, the verb becomes plural: me gustan. The verb agrees with the things liked, not with the person who likes them, and that agreement is the key to the whole verb. This page shows gustar in real sentences, in short dialogues, and in the mistakes learners make most often, and it finishes with a ten-question quiz so you can test yourself. Every sentence below comes with its English translation, and every form is the correct present-tense form unless the sentence is clearly marked as past or future. For a first taste: “Me gusta el café por la mañana.” — I like coffee in the morning.
Gustar in real example sentences
The twelve sentences below are grouped by how gustar is used. Read each one out loud, then read the translation. If a sentence feels useful, copy it into your own notebook with one small change — a different time, a different person, a different place — and you have a new sentence of your own.
In the present: everyday use
These sentences use gustar in the present tense, which is how you will meet it most often: routines, facts, and things happening now.
“Me gusta el café por la mañana.” — I like coffee in the morning.
“Me gustan los libros de historia.” — I like history books.
“Te gusta la música clásica.” — You like classical music.
“Le gustan las películas de acción.” — He likes action films.
Talking about the past
The present is not the only tense you need. These sentences show gustar in the past, so you can talk about what already happened.
“Me gustó mucho la película de ayer.” — I liked yesterday's film a lot. (preterite)
“De niño, me gustaba el fútbol.” — As a child, I used to like football. (imperfect)
Plans and things already done
These sentences look forward, or look back at something already finished. Notice how the verb form changes while the meaning of gustar stays the same.
“Te gustará la sorpresa, estoy seguro.” — You will like the surprise, I am sure. (future)
“Me ha gustado mucho el concierto.” — I have liked the concert a lot. (present perfect)
More everyday uses
Four more present-tense sentences, covering the remaining persons, so you can see the whole table in action.
“Nos gusta viajar en tren.” — We like travelling by train.
“Os gustan los deportes de invierno.” — You like winter sports.
“Les gusta el chocolate.” — They like chocolate.
“Me gustan las flores del jardín.” — I like the flowers in the garden.
Gustar in context
Single sentences teach you the forms. Dialogues teach you when to use them. Read the short conversation below, then the paragraph that follows, and notice how gustar appears naturally, without anyone stopping to think about conjugation.
A short dialogue
Elena: “¿Te gusta la música clásica?” — Do you like classical music?
Jorge: “Sí, me gusta mucho. ¿Y a ti?” — Yes, I like it a lot. And you?
Elena: “A mí me gustan los libros de historia.” — I like history books.
Jorge: “A nosotros nos gusta viajar en tren.” — We like travelling by train.
Elena: “¿Les gusta el chocolate a tus hijos?” — Do your children like chocolate?
Jorge: “Sí, les gusta mucho, y me gustan las flores del jardín.” — Yes, they like it a lot, and I like the flowers in the garden.
A short paragraph
A Elena le gusta la música clásica y a Jorge le gustan los libros de historia. A nosotros nos gusta viajar en tren, y a los niños les gusta el chocolate. A mí me gusta el café por la mañana, y me gustan las flores del jardín. Gustar is everywhere in this conversation, and every sentence follows the same pattern: a person as an indirect object, and a verb that agrees with the thing liked.
Common mistakes with gustar
These are the errors learners actually make with gustar. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.
Wrong: “Yo gusto el café.” Right: “Me gusta el café.” Why: Gustar does not work like English 'to like'. You are not the subject; the coffee is. Say me gusta, with the indirect object pronoun me and the third-person form gusta.
Wrong: “Me gusta los libros.” Right: “Me gustan los libros.” Why: Los libros is plural, so the verb must be gustan. Gusta is for one thing or an infinitive; gustan is for more than one thing. The verb agrees with what is liked, not with who likes it.
Wrong: “Me gustan el café.” Right: “Me gusta el café.” Why: El café is singular, so the verb must be gusta. Gustan belongs with plural nouns such as los libros. Check the noun first, then choose the verb form.
Wrong: “A mí me gusta los libros de historia y el café.” Right: “A mí me gustan los libros de historia y me gusta el café.” Why: When you like two different things, each needs its own verb form: gustan for the plural books, gusta for the singular coffee. One form cannot cover both.
Wrong: “Yo gusto el café.” Right: “Me gusta el café.” Why: Liking is expressed backwards in Spanish: the coffee is the subject and you are the indirect object. Yo gusto treats you as the subject of liking, which is not how the verb works. Say me gusta for one thing and me gustan for several.
Quiz: gustar in use
Ten questions on gustar in real sentences. Choose the correct answer for each one, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained.
1. Complete the sentence: “Nos ______ viajar en tren.” (We like travelling by train.)
- (a) gustas
- (b) gusta
- (c) gusto
Answer: gusta — The él/ella/Ud. form of gustar in the present tense is gusta.
2. Complete the sentence: “Os ______ los deportes de invierno.” (You like winter sports.)
- (a) gustan
- (b) gusto
- (c) gustas
Answer: gustan — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form of gustar in the present tense is gustan.
3. Complete the sentence (preterite): “Me ______ mucho la película de ayer.” (I liked yesterday's film a lot.)
- (a) gusté
- (b) gustaste
- (c) gustó
Answer: gustó — In the preterite, the él/ella/Ud. form of gustar is gustó.
4. Complete the sentence (imperfect): “De niño, me ______ el fútbol.” (As a child, I used to like football.)
- (a) gustabas
- (b) gustaba
- (c) gustaba
Answer: gustaba — In the imperfect, the él/ella/Ud. form of gustar is gustaba.
5. Complete the sentence (future): “Te ______ la sorpresa, estoy seguro.” (You will like the surprise, I am sure.)
- (a) gustará
- (b) gustaré
- (c) gustarás
Answer: gustará — In the future, the él/ella/Ud. form of gustar is gustará.
6. What does gustar mean in English?
- (a) to finish, to end
- (b) to serve
- (c) to like, to be pleasing to
Answer: to like, to be pleasing to — Gustar means “to like, to be pleasing to”. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.
7. Which sentence is correct?
- (a) Me gusta el café.
- (b) Yo gusto el café.
- (c) Me gusta los libros.
Answer: Me gusta el café. — “Me gusta el café.” is correct. The other two sentences contain the mistakes explained in the section above.
8. How do you say “They like chocolate.” in Spanish?
- (a) Les gustan el chocolate.
- (b) Les gusta el chocolate.
- (c) Me gustan las flores del jardín.
Answer: Les gusta el chocolate. — “Les gusta el chocolate.” is the correct translation. The second option means something different, and the third uses the wrong person's form.
9. You like several books. Which form do you need?
- (a) Me gustan los libros.
- (b) Me gusta los libros.
- (c) Me gusto los libros.
Answer: Me gustan los libros. — Libros is plural, so the verb must be gustan. Gusta is for one thing, and gusto is the yo form, which is not used for liking.
10. Which of these sentences is in the present tense?
- (a) Me gustó mucho la película de ayer.
- (b) Te gustará la sorpresa, estoy seguro.
- (c) Me gusta el café por la mañana.
Answer: Me gusta el café por la mañana. — “Me gusta el café por la mañana.” is in the present tense. The other two are in the preterite and the future.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say 'I like it' in Spanish?
Say 'Me gusta' for one thing or an activity, and 'Me gustan' for several things. To name the thing, add it after the verb: 'Me gusta el café'. To stress that it is you, add 'A mí': 'A mí me gusta el café'.
How do you say 'Do you like coffee?' in Spanish?
Say '¿Te gusta el café?' The te is the indirect object pronoun for tú, and gusta agrees with el café. For a formal 'you', say '¿Le gusta el café?'
Can gustar be used with an infinitive?
Yes. Gustar + infinitive means to like doing something: 'Me gusta nadar' (I like swimming), 'Me gusta leer' (I like reading). The infinitive counts as singular, so the verb is always gusta, never gustan.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of gustar — every tense of gustar in one place.
- Gustar in the present tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Spanish verbs — the hub for every Spanish verb on VerbFlow.
- Verb quiz — test yourself on gustar and other verbs.
- Conjugation practice — drill the forms of gustar until they are automatic.