One of the first things students learn to say in Spanish is me gusta. Whether they loved or barely remember their high school Spanish class, most people can still recall how to say “me gusta something.” The phrase sticks — and for good reason. The verb gustar introduces learners to a different structure in Spanish: instead of saying “I like chocolate,” you’re literally saying “chocolate is pleasing to me.”
With enough exposure, using the verb structure becomes second nature. Students will be able to use it to say things like “Me gusta la clase de español.” It uses indirect object pronouns (me, te, le, nos, os, les) and places the verb in third-person to match the thing being liked, not the person liking it. The use of the indirect object pronouns remains the same for each verb like gustar, adding to the ease of transition to using other gustar-like verbs in conversation.
As a Spanish teacher, I’ve noticed that most textbooks and classrooms introduce a few of the most commonly used verbs like gustar:
- encantar – Me encanta el chocolate. – I love chocolate.
- interesar – Te interesan las ciencias. – Science is interesting to me./I’m interested in science.
- doler – Me duele la cabeza. – My head hurts.
- molestar – Nos molesta el ruido. – The noise bothers us.
- tocar – Les toca sacar la basura. – It’s your turn to take out the trash.
While the most common verb is the Spanish verb gustar sets students up for success, the verb structure can be used for more than to express likes. There are dozens of Spanish verbs like gustar that students can use to express themselves more naturally, all while reinforcing the same structure. Here’s a curated list of gustar-like verbs with example sentences you can bring right into your classroom or study routine:
List of Verbs Like Gustar With Real-Life Examples
- gustar – to like (something) – Te gusta la película. – You like the movie.
- encantar – to love (something) – Me encanta el chocolate. – I love chocolate.
- interesar – to interest – Te interesa la historia. – You’re interested in history./History interests you.
- fascinar – to fascinate – Le fascinan los planetas. – Planets fascinate him/her.
- molestar – to bother – Nos molesta el ruido. – The noise bothers us.
- importar – to matter / to care about – ¿Te importa si voy? – Do you mind if I go? / Does it matter to you if I go?
- aburrir – to bore – Me aburre esa película. – That movie bores me.
- doler (o→ue) – to hurt – Me duele la cabeza. – My head hurts.
- quedar – to have left / to fit – Me quedan dos dólares. – I have two dollars left.
- parecer – to seem / to appear – Me parece buena idea. – It seems like a good idea to me.
- faltar – to lack / to need – Me falta tiempo. – I lack time / I need more time.
- caer bien/mal – to get along well / badly/like – Me cae bien tu hermana. – I get along well with (like) your sister.
- hacer falta – to need / to be necessary – Me hace falta estudiar. – I need to study.
- chocar – to clash / to hate (slang) – Me choca esa actitud. – I can’t stand that attitude.
- dar miedo – to scare – Me da miedo la oscuridad. – The dark scares me.
- agradar – to please – Me agrada su compañía. – I enjoy his/her company.
- apetecer – to feel like / to appeal/crave – ¿Te apetece un café? – Do you feel like having a coffee?
- extrañar – to surprise / to find strange – Me extraña que no venga. – It surprises me that he/she isn’t coming.
- repugnar – to disgust / to sicken – Me repugna la violencia. – Violence disgusts me.
- sobrar – to be left over – Nos sobra comida. – We have food left over.
- urgir – to be urgent – Me urge una respuesta. – I urgently need an answer.
- tocar – to be someone’s turn / responsibility – Te toca lavar los platos. – It’s your turn to wash the dishes.
- convenir – to suit / be good for – Nos conviene llegar temprano. – It’s good for us to arrive early.
- costar – to be hard / difficult – Me cuesta decir la verdad. – It’s hard for me to tell the truth.
- bastar – to be enough – Me basta con tu amistad. –Your friendship is enough for me.
- resultar – to turn out / to be – Me resultó interesante el libro. – The book turned out to be interesting to me.
- alcanzar – to be enough / to reach – No me alcanza el dinero. – I don’t have enough money.
- placer (formal) – to please – Me place ayudar. – It pleases me to help.
- causar – to cause (emotionally) – Le causa alegría verte. – Seeing you brings him/her joy.
- enfadar – to make (someone) angry – ¿Te enfada cuando llueve todo el día? – Does it make you mad when it rains all day?
How Subject Pronouns Work with Verbs Like Gustar
To clarify who we’re talking about (especially when it’s not obvious from context), we often add the preposition “a” + a name or subject pronoun before the sentence. This helps emphasize or clarify who the emotion or reaction is happening to.
Here’s how that looks with each subject pronoun:
- A mí me gusta el chocolate.
(I like chocolate.) - A ti te molesta el ruido.
(You don’t like the noise. / The noise bothers you.) - A él le duele la cabeza.
(His head hurts.) - A ella le encanta bailar.
(She loves to dance.) - A usted le interesa la historia.
(You – formal – are interested in history.) - A nosotros nos fascinan los animales.
(We are fascinated by animals.) - A nosotras nos aburre la clase.
(We (all females) are bored by the class.) - A vosotros os toca limpiar. (used in Spain)
(It’s your turn to clean.) - A vosotras os falta tiempo. (used in Spain)
(You all (female) are lacking time.) - A ellos les encantan los deportes.
(They love sports.) - A ellas les interesa la música.
(They (females) are interested in music.) - A ustedes les molesta el calor.
(You all are bothered by the heat.)
You can also use this structure with people’s names:
- A Juan le gusta correr.
- A Marta y a mí nos encanta viajar.
- A mis amigos les aburren las películas largas.
This “a” phrase often appears even when it’s not strictly required, especially for clarity or emphasis. For example, you might say A mí me gusta even though me gusta alone is technically correct — the “a mí” adds emphasis: I like it (maybe in contrast to someone else).
Quick Refresher: Indirect Object Pronouns
To use these verbs correctly, you’ll need to master indirect object pronouns — they’re the core of this structure:
- me – to me
- te – to you (informal)
- le – to him, her, or you (formal)
- nos – to us
- os – to you all (Spain)
- les – to them or to you all
Remember: the verb agrees with the thing, not the person.
- Me interesa el tema. (The topic interests me.)
- Me interesan los temas. (The topics interest me.)
Teaching Tip:
Once students understand the structure of gustar, you can easily plug in any of these verbs to help them communicate more authentically — from talking about interests and emotions to describing what bothers them, what they need, or what they find difficult.
Looking for meaningful speaking practice with verbs like gustar? 🎯 These two resources are student-approved and perfect for getting your class talking!
✅ Verbs Like Gustar: Find Someone Who – A fun speaking scavenger hunt where students move around and interact while practicing these tricky structures in context. It’s low prep and high engagement!
Grab it here on TpT!
🗣️ Verbs Like Gustar PQA Slides – These ready-to-use slides feature over 100 questions for 25+ gustar-style verbs, perfect for bell ringers, brain breaks, or whole-class conversation. Use them to build confidence and keep your class speaking in Spanish every day! Grab it on TPT!
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