SpanishConjugationAll tenses
Gustar (to please) · All tenses
By TutorLily Editorial Team
Gustar conjugates as a regular -ar verb but uses a 'backwards' sentence structure: the thing being liked is the grammatical subject, and the person who likes it is an indirect object. 'Me gusta el café' literally means 'coffee pleases me' = I like coffee. This is one of the highest-leverage pedagogical points in Spanish — the verb shape is easy; the structure is what trips learners up.
Conjugation
gustar · Present (Presente)
I like, you like... (lit. 'pleases me, pleases you')
| To Like | Gustar |
|---|---|
| I like | yo gusto |
| you like | tú gustas |
| he/she likes | él/ella/usted gusta |
| we like | nosotros/as gustamos |
| you like | vosotros/as gustáis |
| they like | ellos/ellas/ustedes gustan |
Conjugation
gustar · Preterite (Pretérito indefinido)
I liked, I was pleased by... (lit. 'pleased me')
| To Like | Gustar |
|---|---|
| I liked | yo gusté |
| you liked | tú gustaste |
| he/she liked | él/ella/usted gustó |
| we liked | nosotros/as gustamos |
| you liked | vosotros/as gustasteis |
| they liked | ellos/ellas/ustedes gustaron |
Conjugation
gustar · Imperfect (Pretérito imperfecto)
I used to like, I liked... (ongoing past)
| To Like | Gustar |
|---|---|
| I used to like | yo gustaba |
| you used to like | tú gustabas |
| he/she used to like | él/ella/usted gustaba |
| we used to like | nosotros/as gustábamos |
| you used to like | vosotros/as gustabais |
| they used to like | ellos/ellas/ustedes gustaban |
Conjugation
gustar · Present Subjunctive (Presente de subjuntivo)
(that) I like...
| To Like | Gustar |
|---|---|
| I like | yo guste |
| you like | tú gustes |
| he/she like | él/ella/usted guste |
| we like | nosotros/as gustemos |
| you like | vosotros/as gustéis |
| they like | ellos/ellas/ustedes gusten |
Conjugation
gustar · Future (Futuro simple)
I will like, it will please me...
| To Like | Gustar |
|---|---|
| I will like | yo gustaré |
| you will like | tú gustarás |
| he/she will like | él/ella/usted gustará |
| we will like | nosotros/as gustaremos |
| you will like | vosotros/as gustaréis |
| they will like | ellos/ellas/ustedes gustarán |
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How do you conjugate gustar in the present tense?
Gustar in the present is: yo gusto, tú gustas, él/ella/usted gusta, nosotros/as gustamos, vosotros/as gustáis, ellos/ellas/ustedes gustan. Grammatically it follows the regular -ar pattern. In real Spanish usage, however, the gusta/gustan forms dominate because gustar takes its grammatical subject from the thing being liked, not from the liker.
Why is gustar 'backwards' compared to English?
Spanish 'gustar' doesn't mean 'to like' — it means 'to please' or 'to be pleasing to'. The thing being liked is the grammatical subject; the person who likes it is an indirect object: 'Me gusta el café' literally = 'Coffee pleases me' = 'I like coffee'. Because the subject is the THING (singular or plural), only gusta (singular) and gustan (plural) appear in most sentences. About a dozen verbs work this way: encantar, doler, faltar, interesar, parecer, importar, molestar, sobrar, fascinar — all use the same 'pleases me' structure.
When do I use 'gusta' vs 'gustan'?
Use 'gusta' when the thing being liked is singular or is an infinitive: 'Me gusta el café' (I like coffee — singular), 'Me gusta nadar' (I like swimming — infinitive). Use 'gustan' when the thing being liked is plural: 'Me gustan las películas' (I like movies), 'Me gustan los gatos' (I like cats). The verb agrees with the SUBJECT (the thing), not with 'me' — which is why English speakers often miss the plural and say 'me gusta las películas' (incorrect).
How do you conjugate gustar in the preterite?
The preterite of gustar is: yo gusté, tú gustaste, él/ella/usted gustó, nosotros/as gustamos, vosotros/as gustasteis, ellos/ellas/ustedes gustaron. Grammatically it follows the regular -ar preterite pattern. In real use, gustó (singular subject) and gustaron (plural subject) dominate: 'Me gustó la película' / 'Me gustaron las películas'.
When should I use 'me gustó' vs 'me gustaba'?
Use 'me gustó' for a completed reaction to a specific experience: 'Me gustó la película' (I liked the movie — after watching it). Use 'me gustaba' for ongoing past liking: 'De niño, me gustaba el chocolate' (As a child, I liked chocolate — habitual). 'Me gustó' is the reaction at a moment; 'me gustaba' is the standing preference over time.
How does 'gustar' work in the past in conversation?
When someone asks '¿Qué tal la película?' (How was the movie?), Spaniards typically answer with the preterite: 'Me gustó mucho' (I liked it a lot — completed reaction). For ongoing past preferences, the imperfect: 'Antes me gustaba más' (I used to like it more). Mixing them produces awkwardness: '*Me gustaba la película' (after just watching it) sounds wrong — the experience is completed, so the preterite is required.
How do you conjugate gustar in the imperfect?
Gustar follows the regular -ar imperfect pattern: yo gustaba, tú gustabas, él/ella/usted gustaba, nosotros/as gustábamos, vosotros/as gustabais, ellos/ellas/ustedes gustaban. Note the accent on 'gustábamos'. In real use, gustaba (singular subject) and gustaban (plural subject) dominate: 'me gustaba el café' / 'me gustaban las películas'.
When do I use 'gustaba' instead of 'gustó'?
Use 'gustaba' for habitual or ongoing past liking: 'De niño, me gustaba el chocolate' (As a child, I liked chocolate — standing preference). Use 'gustó' for a completed reaction at a specific moment: 'Ayer me gustó la película' (Yesterday I liked the movie — completed reaction). Standing preference = imperfect; reaction at a moment = preterite.
Can I say 'me gustaba mucho' about a recent experience?
No — for a recent specific reaction, use the preterite 'me gustó'. 'Me gustaba' implies an ongoing habitual preference that may or may not still hold. If you just finished watching a movie and someone asks how it was, say 'me gustó mucho'; saying 'me gustaba mucho' would suggest you used to like it but might not anymore, which would be confusing in context.
How do you conjugate gustar in the present subjunctive?
The present subjunctive of gustar is: yo guste, tú gustes, él/ella/usted guste, nosotros/as gustemos, vosotros/as gustéis, ellos/ellas/ustedes gusten. Grammatically it follows the regular -ar subjunctive pattern. In real use, guste (singular subject) and gusten (plural subject) dominate.
When do I need to use the subjunctive of gustar?
Use it after triggers of doubt, emotion, will, or hope: 'Espero que te guste' (I hope you like it), 'Dudo que les gusten los regalos' (I doubt they'll like the gifts), 'Quiero que le guste el postre' (I want him/her to like the dessert). The 'me alegra que te guste' (I'm glad you like it) construction is a Spanish staple for receiving gifts or sharing recommendations.
How do I say 'I hope you like it' when giving a gift?
The standard formula is 'Espero que te guste' (I hope you like it — singular gift) or 'Espero que te gusten' (I hope you like them — plural gift). For more emphasis: 'Ojalá te guste' (I really hope you like it). The subjunctive is required after 'espero que' — the indicative '*espero que te gusta' is ungrammatical.
How do you conjugate gustar in the future?
The future of gustar is regular: yo gustaré, tú gustarás, él/ella/usted gustará, nosotros/as gustaremos, vosotros/as gustaréis, ellos/ellas/ustedes gustarán. The full infinitive 'gustar' serves as the future stem. In real use, gustará and gustarán dominate the gusta/gustan pattern.
When do I use the future of gustar?
Use 'gustará / gustarán' for predicting future liking: 'Te gustará la película' (You'll like the movie — I predict). It's especially common in recommendations: 'Te gustará este libro' (You'll like this book). The conditional 'gustaría' is more common in polite expressions: 'Me gustaría un café' (I would like a coffee — softer than 'quiero un café').
What does 'me gustaría' mean and how is it different from 'me gusta'?
'Me gustaría' is the conditional of gustar and means 'I would like' — a softer, more polite expression than the bare present 'me gusta' (I like) or 'quiero' (I want). 'Me gustaría un café, por favor' (I would like a coffee, please) is the standard polite order. 'Me gustaría aprender español' (I would like to learn Spanish) expresses a wish or aspiration. Spanish leans on the conditional of gustar for politeness more than English uses 'I would like'.
Practice Gustar (To Please) in real conversations
TutorLily is your personal language tutor that catches every mistake gently and keeps the conversation going.
3-day free trial · Cancel anytime · 50+ languages
As seen on
Get the app