Chapter 1

Topic 1 Verbs like Gustar

We have already learned the verb gustar.
In English, it means to be pleasing to.

Other verbs like “gustar” are:

  • encantar to be enchanting, to like very much
  • fascinar to fascinate, to be fascinating (to)
  • interesar to be interesting (to)
  • molestar to bother, to annoy
  • preocupar to worry
  • importar to be important (to), to matter

These other verbs, like the verb “gustar” ALWAYS use a pronoun.

Verbs like Gustar

Indirect Object Pronouns

a table of indirect object pronouns
Indirect Object Pronouns Indirect Object Pronouns
Yo Me
Tú Te
Ud./él/ella Le
Nosotros/as Nos
Uds./ellos/as Les
{
A table that displays singular and plural verbs like gustar.
gusta (singular) gustan (plural)
Interesa Interesan
Importa Importan
Fascina Fascinan
Preocupa Preocupan
Encanta Ecantan
Molesta Molestan

Singular

  • I like the beach very much.
  • Me encanta la playa.

In this construction, the entity that possesses what you like very much is the subject (LA PLAYA) must agree with the very much (ENCANTA). The indirect object (ME) signals to whom the entity is pleasing.

Plural

  • The sunglasses are important to me.
  • Me importan mucho mis gafas de sol.

If we have a plural entity (LAS GAFAS DES SOL) as the subject, the verb needs to agree.

IMPORTANT and ME still conveys to whom the sunglasses are important to: Me importan mucho mis gafas de sol. (Literal translation: My sunglasses are important, matter to me.)

When conjugated, all of these verbs are an affirmative statement. To make the statement negative place the “no” before the pronoun.

Singular / No me molesta el sol.

Plural / No me preocupan los tiburones.

 

Practícalo…
Read out loud to practice.

  1. Me encanta la clase de español. No me encanta la clase de español.
  2. Te interesa el libro de biología. No te interesa el libro de biología.
  3. ¿(Ud./él/ella) Le gusta la computadora? ¿No le gustan las computadoras?
  4. Nos fascina el chocolate. No nos gusta el chocolate.
  5. Les molesta el perro. No nos molesta el perro.

Escríbelo…

Example: las manzanas (fascinar) Me fascinan las manzanas. No me fascinan las manzanas.
a table that displays different nouns and verbs.
Question Singular Plural
1. el libro (encantar)
2. el examen (preocupar)
3. el gato (molestar)
4. la clase de español (interesar)

A verb as the subject

When those verbs like “gustar” are used with another verb, the verb form is used in the *infinitive form.

  • Me encanta *hablar. I like *to talk.
  • Me fascina *caminar. I like *to walk.
  • Me interesa *nadar. I like *to swim.

 

Verbs and
“A” + Indirect Object Pronouns

A table that displays “A” plus an indirect object pronoun
A mí me
A tí te
A (Ud./él/ella) le
A nosotros/as nos
A (Uds./ellos/as) les

When to use the “A” phrase

To emphasize the indirect object pronoun itself.

  • A mí me encanta bailar.

To clarify the meaning of le/les.

  • A él le fascinan las quesadillas.
  • A ellos les interesa estudiar.

To place names and nouns

  • A Sofía le importa leer.
  • A la chica le encanta la pizza.

To answer or make a question

  • ¿A quién le interesa estudiar?
  • A mí no me interesa estudiar.

ALWAYS place “NO” between

“A mí, tí,

etc.”and the Indirect Object Pronoun.

  • A mí no me interesa correr.

 

 

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