Spanish Gustar Practice: Me Gusta, Me Encanta + Exercises

TL;DR

• Gustar does not work like “to like” in English
• The thing you like is the subject, not the object
• Me gusta and me gustan depend on what is liked
• Most mistakes come from English word order
• Focused spanish gustar practice with real sentences is the fastest way to improve

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What Does Gustar Actually Mean in Spanish?

Gustar does not mean “to like” — it means “to be pleasing.”

Compare:

• English: I like coffee.
• Spanish: Me gusta el café.
  • Literal meaning: Coffee is pleasing to me.

This is why:

• The verb agrees with el café
• The pronoun (me) shows who experiences the feeling

In Spanish, gustar describes how something affects a person, not what a person actively likes.

What Is the Difference Between Me Gusta and Me Encanta?

Examples:

• Me gusta el chocolate.
• Me encanta el chocolate.

Important:
Changing the verb does not change the sentence structure.

Common Situations Where Gustar Feels Confusing

1. Liking Actions

Use gusta + infinitive:

• Me gusta leer.
• Nos encanta viajar.

2. Clarifying Who Likes Something

Add a + person for clarity:

• A María le gusta el café.
• A mis padres les gustan las películas.

Spanish Gustar Practice Exercises

👇 Do more Spanish Gustar Practice:

Final Takeaway: Think in Effects, Not Actions

Spanish gustar works once you accept that Spanish describes how things affect people, not what people actively do.

If you focus on:

• structure
• agreement
• perspective

your accuracy improves naturally — and stays stable over time.