Gustar vs Encantar

Use gustar to say that something is pleasing to someone; it expresses likes in a moderate way. The verb normally agrees in number with the thing that is liked, and you use indirect object pronouns to indicate who likes it.

Use encantar to say that something delights someone or that they love it; it expresses a stronger positive reaction than gustar. Like gustar, encantar agrees with the thing loved and takes an indirect object pronoun for the person.

Indirection object pronouns tell you who experiences the liking or loving, and they appear before the verb in sentences with gustar or encantar. If you need to emphasize or clarify the person, add a phrase like a mí or a ella after the verb.

Gustar and encantar typically appear in the third person singular or plural to agree with the thing that pleases or delights; use the plural form when the noun is plural or when an infinitive phrase functions as a group. The sentence structure usually places the indirect object pronoun first, then the verb, then the thing liked or loved.

To emphasize who likes or loves something, add a phrase like a mí, a ti, a él, a ella, a nosotros, or a name after the indirect object pronoun; this makes the sentence clearer or adds force. Emphatic phrases are especially helpful when contrasting people or when the listener might be unsure about who the experiencer is.

Use gustar for things that please someone moderately and encantar for things they love or that delight them intensely. Always use indirect object pronouns to show who is affected, make the verb agree with the thing liked or loved, and add emphatic phrases when you want to stress or clarify the person.