Gustar vs Encantar – Like vs Love
Descubre las diferencias entre gustar y encantar en español, con ejemplos prácticos, reglas de conjugación y usos comunes para describir gustos e intensidades en diversas situaciones.
Discover the differences between gustar and encantar in Spanish, with practical examples, conjugation rules, and common uses to describe tastes and intensities in various situations.
This short guide explains how to use gustar and encantar to talk about what you like and love, with quick examples so you can see the pattern.
Gustar
Use gustar to say you like something. The verb agrees with the thing that is liked, and you use an indirect object pronoun for who likes it.
Example
I like the apples
Expressions
Usa gustar para decir que te gusta algo. El verbo concuerda con la cosa que te gusta, y se usa un pronombre de objeto indirecto para indicar quién le gusta.
Encantar
Use encantar to say you love something or really like it. It works the same way as gustar with indirect object pronouns and agreement with the thing.
Example
I like the apples
Expressions
Usa encantar para decir que amas algo o realmente te gusta mucho. Funciona igual que gustar, con pronombres de objeto indirecto y acuerdo con la cosa.
Other Verbs Like Gustar
There are many verbs that follow the same pattern as gustar, such as interesar, molestar, and fascinar. They all use indirect object pronouns and agree with the thing, not the person.
Example
I like the apples
Expressions
Summary
Use indirect object pronouns to show who feels the liking or loving, and make the verb agree with the thing liked or loved. Use gustar for general liking and encantar for strong love or enthusiasm.
Suggested Reading
Practice Makes Perfect: Basic Spanish by Dorothy Richmond
No Nonsense Spanish Workbook by Eric W. Vogt & My Daily Spanish
The Everything Learning Spanish Book by Julie Gutin
Collins Easy Learning: Spanish Conversation by Collins Dictionaries
Practice Makes Perfect: Spanish Conversation by Jean Yates
Madrigal's Magic Key to Spanish by Margarita Madrigal
Spanish All-In-One For Dummies by Susana Wald & Cecie Kraynak
Easy Spanish Step-By-Step by Barbara Bregstein
Barron’s 501 Spanish Verbs by Christopher Kendris and Theodore Kendris
Complete Spanish Step-By-Step by Barbara Bregstein
Practice Makes Perfect: Complete Spanish Grammar by Gilda Nissenberg
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