Everything You Need to Know About “Gustar” Conjugation in Spanish

Bodhi Ramos6 min
Created: Oct 7, 2024Last updated: Oct 11, 2024
Gustar Conjugation

“Gustar” [ɡusˈtaɾ] is a unique Spanish verb that translates to “to like.” Unlike many verbs, it requires an indirect object pronoun and follows a reversed sentence structure. Gustar conjugation can confuse learners at first, but with some practice, you’ll find it becomes effortless. This guide will break down the conjugation rules so you can feel confident using the verb. We’ll also provide examples to illustrate how gustar works in everyday conversation.

Basic “Gustar” Meaning and Usage in Spanish

Gustar might trip you up at first because it flips the typical sentence structure. But this shift is quite simple once understood. Gustar translates to “to please,” not “to like,” which changes how you form sentences with this verb.

When using gustar, the sentence’s subject is actually the thing being liked, not the person doing the liking. This means you conjugate the verb based on what is pleasing and use indirect object gustar pronouns to show who it pleases.

  • Me gusta la película [me ˈɣus.ta la peˈli.kula] – The movie pleases me (I like the movie).
  • Me gustan las flores [me ɣus’tan las ‘flores] – The flowers please you (You like the flowers).

If you’re talking about liking multiple things, remember to use the plural form of gustar. The verb doesn’t change based on who likes something; it changes based on what is liked.

How to Conjugate “Gustar” in Spanish

Once you grasp the basics of gustar, knowing how to conjugate it in various tenses is helpful. This understanding allows you to express what you or others like in past, present, and future contexts.

Present Tense

The present tense lets you talk about what someone likes right now. Below, you’ll see how to turn this verb into different forms for the present moment.

Object PronounSingularPluralExample Sentence
Me (to me)gusta [ˈɣus.ta]gustan [ˈɣus.tan]Me gusta el chocolate. [me ˈɣus.ta el tʃo.koˈla.te] – I like chocolate.
Te (to you)Te gusta la música. [te ˈɣus.ta la ˈmu.si.ka] – You like music.
Le (to him/her)Le gusta el libro. [le ˈɣus.ta el ˈli.βɾo] – He/She likes the book.
Nos (to us)Nos gusta el cine. [nos ˈɣus.ta el ˈsi.ne] – We like the cinema.
Os (to you all)Os gusta la comida. [os ˈɣus.ta la koˈmi.ða] – You all like the food.
Les (to them)Les gusta el arte. [les ˈɣus.ta el ˈaɾ.te] – They like art.

Preterite Tense

The preterite tense expresses what someone liked in the past at a specific point or event. Check how the gustar preterite form changes to fit those past moments below.

Object PronounSingularPluralExample Sentence
Me (to me)gustó [ɣusˈto]gustaron [ɣusˈta.ɾon]Me gustó la película. [me ɣusˈto la peˈli.ku.la] – I liked the movie.
Te (to you)Te gustó el concierto. [te ɣusˈto el konˈθjer.to] – You liked the concert.
Le (to him/her)Le gustó el libro. [le ɣusˈto el ˈli.βɾo] – He/She liked the book.
Nos (to us)Nos gustó el viaje. [nos ɣusˈto el ˈβja.xe] – We liked the trip.
Os (to you all)Os gustó la clase. [os ɣusˈto la ˈkla.se] – You all liked the class.
Les (to them)Les gustaron las canciones. [les ɣusˈta.ɾon las kanˈθjo.nes] – They liked the songs.

Imperfect Tense

This tense is for talking about things someone used to like or liked repeatedly. It gives a sense of ongoing or habitual actions.

Object PronounSingularPluralExample Sentence
Me (to me)gustaba [ɣusˈta.βa]gustaban [ɣusˈta.βan]Me gustaba jugar. [me ɣusˈta.βa xuˈɣaɾ] – I used to like playing.
Te (to you)Te gustaba el deporte. [te ɣusˈta.βa el deˈpoɾ.te] – You used to like sports.
Le (to him/her)Le gustaba la música. [le ɣusˈta.βa la ˈmu.si.ka] – He/She used to like music.
Nos (to us)Nos gustaban los viajes. [nos ɣusˈta.βan los ˈβja.xes] – We used to like trips.
Os (to you all)Os gustaban los animales. [os ɣusˈta.βan los a.niˈma.les] – You all used to like animals.
Les (to them)Les gustaban los libros. [les ɣusˈta.βan los ˈli.βɾos] – They used to like books.

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Future Tense

The future tense tells you what someone will like. It helps you discuss likes in upcoming situations. Follow these guidelines to talk about future preferences confidently.

Object PronounSingularPluralExample Sentence
Me (to me)gustará [ɣus.taˈɾa]gustarán [ɣus.taˈɾan]Me gustará el viaje. [me ɣus.taˈɾa el ˈβja.xe] – I will like the trip.
Te (to you)Te gustará la película. [te ɣus.taˈɾa la peˈli.ku.la] – You will like the movie.
Le (to him/her)Le gustará el libro. [le ɣus.taˈɾa el ˈli.βɾo] – He/She will like the book.
Nos (to us)Nos gustará el evento. [nos ɣus.taˈɾa el eˈβen.to] – We will like the event.
Os (to you all)Os gustará la comida. [os ɣus.taˈɾa la koˈmi.ða] – You all will like the food.
Les (to them)Les gustarán los regalos. [les ɣus.taˈɾan los reˈɣa.los] – They will like the gifts.

Conditional Tense

This tense lets you talk about what someone would like in hypothetical situations. Use this tense to express wishes or possibilities.

Object PronounSingularPluralExample Sentence
Me (to me)gustaría [ɣus.taˈɾi.a]gustarían [ɣus.taˈɾi.an]Me gustaría viajar. [me ɣus.taˈɾi.a βjaˈxaɾ] – I would like to travel.
Te (to you)Te gustaría la película. [te ɣus.taˈɾi.a la peˈli.ku.la] – You would like the movie.
Le (to him/her)Le gustaría el libro. [le ɣus.taˈɾi.a el ˈli.βɾo] – He/She would like the book.
Nos (to us)Nos gustaría ir a la playa. [nos ɣus.taˈɾi.a iɾ a la ˈpla.ʝa] – We would like to go to the beach.
Os (to you all)Os gustaría la comida. [os ɣus.taˈɾi.a la koˈmi.ða] – You all would like the food.
Les (to them)Les gustarían los regalos. [les ɣus.taˈɾi.an los reˈɣa.los] – They would like the gifts.

Subjunctive Mood

The subjunctive mood lets you express doubts, wishes, and hypothetical situations in Spanish. This tense is crucial when you want to talk about what someone might like under certain conditions.

Object PronounSingularPluralExample Sentence
Me (to me)guste [ˈɣus.te]gusten [ˈɣus.ten]Espero que me guste el libro. [esˈpe.ɾo ke me ˈɣus.te el ˈli.βɾo] – I hope I like the book.
Te (to you)Ojalá te guste la música. [oxaˈla te ˈɣus.te la ˈmu.si.ka] – I hope you like the music.
Le (to him/her)Dudo que le guste el viaje. [ˈdu.ðo ke le ˈɣus.te el ˈβja.xe] – I doubt that he/she will like the trip.
Nos (to us)Espero que nos guste la película. [esˈpe.ɾo ke nos ˈɣus.te la peˈli.ku.la] – I hope we like the movie.
Os (to you all)Ojalá os guste el evento. [oxaˈla os ˈɣus.te el eˈβen.to] – I hope you all like the event.
Les (to them)Espero que les gusten los libros. [esˈpe.ɾo ke les ˈɣus.ten los ˈli.βɾos] – I hope they like the books.

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Conclusion

Conjugating “gustar” correctly can improve your Spanish conversations. With practice, this knowledge empowers you to express likes and dislikes clearly and accurately across various contexts. Use the examples for real-life applications, and refer to this guide whenever you need a refresher.

FAQ

What common mistakes should learners avoid when using “gustar”?

A frequent mistake is conjugating gustar based on the subject rather than the object. Remember that this verb is conjugated according to the thing being liked, not the person.

How does “gustar” differ in formal and informal contexts?

Using indirect pronouns like ‘le’ or ‘les’ in formal contexts is polite. In informal settings, you can use ‘te.’

What other verbs follow the same structure as “gustar” in Spanish?

Verbs like interesar [inteɾeˈsaɾ] (to interest), molestar [molesˈtaɾ] (to bother), and faltar [falˈtaɾ] (to lack) also require indirect object pronouns and are conjugated according to the subject.

What are good resources for learning Spanish conjugation online?

Reverso Conjugator and Cooljugator are great resources. They provide verb conjugations for all tenses and moods.

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