Gustar and me duele: how 'I like' works backwards in Spanish

The coffee is pleasing to me

«me gusta el café» does not literally say 'I like the coffee'. Word for word it is: to me, is pleasing, the coffee. The coffee is the one doing something; you are the one it happens to. Nothing in that sentence says I, and «me» sits at the front, before the verb, which is where Spanish puts the person a thing happens to. The shape is the same as «¿cuánto cuesta?»: one thing costs, one thing pleases, and the person is added out front.

• Me gusta el café

  I like coffee

• Me gusta la sopa

  I like soup

• ¿Cuánto cuesta?

  how much does it cost?

• Me gusta el queso

  I like cheese

One word swapped, nothing else

«me gusta el café» and «te gusta el café» are the same sentence with one word changed. «me» is to me; «te» is to you. Now look at what did NOT change: «gusta» is in exactly the same place, spelled exactly the same way. Spanish marks the person out front and leaves the verb alone. And «mucho» — a lot — goes after the verb: «me gusta mucho el helado».

• ¿Te gusta el fútbol?

  do you like soccer?

• Me gusta mucho el helado

  I like ice cream a lot

• Te gusta la película

  you like the movie

• ¿Te gusta el café?

  do you like coffee?

• Me gusta el café y te gusta el té

  I like coffee and you like tea

• ¿Te gusta el helado?

  do you like ice cream?

• ¿Te gusta la música?

  do you like music?

The same -n you already know

«¿cuánto cuesta esta camisa?» — one shirt, so «cuesta». «¿cuánto cuestan los zapatos?» — two shoes, so «cuestan». «gusta» and «gustan» split in exactly the same place: «me gusta el fútbol» for one thing, «me gustan los zapatos» for more than one. Now the part worth pinning down — the -n has nothing to do with you. «me» never changes shape. The thing you like is what grows the -n, because in Spanish that thing is the one doing the pleasing.

• Me gustan los zapatos

  I like the shoes

• Me gusta la camisa

  I like the shirt

• ¿Cuánto cuestan los zapatos?

  how much do the shoes cost?

• Te gustan las faldas

  you like the skirts

• Me gustan mucho los libros

  I like the books a lot

• Me gustan mucho las camisas

  I like the shirts a lot

• Me gusta la pizza y me gustan los libros

  I like pizza and I like books

Two things you like, one «gusta»

Look at what follows the verb. «me gusta nadar» — the second word is the shape you would find in a dictionary, and it stays that way forever. You have done this before, back when you said «quiero bailar» and «quiero escuchar música»: one verb in front, the other one untouched behind it. Now the part that catches everybody. Add a second activity and nothing moves: «me gusta nadar y cocinar». Still «gusta». The verb is not counting your activities — liking-to-do is one idea, however long the list gets. Hold that against something you can actually count: «me gustan los libros», more than one book, so «gustan». Activities never do that.

• Me gusta nadar

  I like to swim

• Me gusta mucho cocinar

  I really like to cook

• Me gusta nadar en la playa

  I like to swim at the beach

• Me gusta nadar y viajar

  I like to swim and to travel

• Me gusta mucho viajar

  I really like to travel

• Quiero escuchar música

  I want to listen to music

• Me gusta cocinar y viajar

  I like to cook and to travel

• Me gusta nadar, cocinar y viajar

  I like to swim, to cook and to travel

One word for him and for her

Spanish does not make you pick between to him and to her. «le» is both, and the sentence tells you which one is meant; that is why the name goes up front. «a Diego le gusta el fútbol»: the «a Diego» is what says who «le» is. «a Ana le gusta la pizza»: same «le», different person, and nothing in the verb moved either. Two things to keep. The «a» in front of the name is not optional: without it, «Diego le gusta» means someone likes Diego. And «le» never changes for a man or a woman; the only thing that ever changes this verb is how many things are being liked.

• A Diego le gusta el fútbol

  Diego likes soccer

• A Ana le gusta la pizza

  Ana likes pizza

• Mi película favorita

  my favorite movie

• A Carmen le gustan las películas

  Carmen likes movies

• Voy al cine

  I'm going to the movies

• A Diego le gustan los libros

  Diego likes books

• A Ana le gusta mi película favorita

  Ana likes my favorite movie

Me duele — the sentence runs backwards, again

«me duele» works exactly like «me gusta»: the sentence runs backwards. The body part is the subject and the person goes out front: «me duele la mano», my hand hurts (literally, the hand hurts to me).

• Me duele el pie

  My foot hurts

• Me duele el brazo

  My arm hurts

• Me duele la pierna

  My leg hurts

• Me duele la mano

  My hand hurts

Duelen — when it's more than one

«me duelen los pies»: «pies» is plural, so «duele» becomes «duelen». It is the same switch as «gusta» → «gustan»: the verb agrees with what is hurting, never with you.

• Me duelen los ojos

  My eyes hurt

• Me duelen las manos

  My hands hurt

• Me duelen los pies

  My feet hurt

Tengo vs. duele — who's the subject?

«tengo los ojos azules»: you are the subject, so the verb takes the yo form. «me duelen los ojos»: the eyes are the subject and you become «me», out front. «duele» and «duelen» never take a yo ending; they agree with the body part, not with the person.

• Me duele la mano, te duelen los ojos, y a Diego le duele el pie

  My hand hurts, your eyes hurt, and Diego's foot hurts

• Tienes el pie pequeño, pero te duele

  You have a small foot, but it hurts

• Diego tiene el brazo grande, pero le duele

  Diego has a big arm, but it hurts

• Tengo los ojos azules, pero me duelen

  I have blue eyes, but they hurt

Check yourself

Questions from the course. Pick an answer to check it; nothing is saved.

1. 1.Which one means 'it hurts' (one thing)?

   dueloduelendueledueles

2. 2.Which one means 'they hurt' (more than one thing)?

   dueleduelenduelemosduelo

3. 3.'I have blue eyes.' Which word?

   dueletengoduelentiene