Difference Between Gusta and Gustan

Gusta vs Gustan

“Gusta” and “gustan” are Spanish verbs. Their use is very different from each other as they are singular and plural. “Gusta” is singular whereas “gustan” is plural. The use of verbs in Spanish is very different from how we use verbs in the English language. Both “gustan” and “gusta” are different forms of the verb “gustar.” “Gusta” and “gustan” refer to the verb “like” in English, but in Spanish the verbs don’t actually mean “like” but a positive feeling. The expression of the word “like” is different, as in “pleasing to,” for example, Me gusta el pescado, which in English will mean, Fish is pleasing to me or Nos gustan los libros, which will mean, The books are pleasing to us. This example shows how “gusta” is used as a singular verb and “gustan” is used as a plural verb. “Gusta” is used with “fish” and “gustan” is used with “books.”

The second thing about “gusta” and “gustan” is that in Spanish, the subject of a sentence is not the person but the object. “Gustan” is used in a Spanish sentence when the subject is plural. For example, in the sentence Nos gustan los libros the subjects are libros (books), and the indirect object is “nos” (us). “Books” is plural and is used with “gustan.” Similarly, in the example, Me gusta el pescado, the subject of the Spanish sentence is el pescado (the fish) and the indirect object is “Me” (I). “Fish” is singular and is used with “gusta.” “Me” in Spanish and “us” in English are used as direct objects, but in the Spanish sentence construction, they are used as indirect objects. The indirect object has no bearing on the verb “gusta” and “gustan.”

The verb “gustar” is always conjugated in a way to agree with the Spanish subject in the sentence. The forms of the verb “gustar” used in sentences are always either “gusta” or “gustan” as the subject of the sentences are either plural or singular. It is not dependent on the IO pronoun. For example, “gusta” will be used for “me”(I), “te” (you), “nos” (we), if the subject is singular, for example, a book.

• Me gusta el libro. Meaning “The book is pleasing to me.”
• Te gusta el libro. Meaning “The book is pleasing to you.”
• Nos gusta el libro. Meaning “The book is pleasing to us.”

Using the same example, if the subject is plural, say “books,” then the verb “gustan” will be used.

• Me gustan los libros. Meaning “The books are pleasing to me.”
• Te gustan los libros. Meaning “The books are pleasing to you.”
• Nos gustan los libros. Meaning “The books are pleasing to us.”

Summary:

1. “Gusta” and “gustan” are used as singular and plural forms of the verb “gustar.”
2. “Gusta” is always used with a singular subject of the sentence irrespective of the indirect object whereas “gustan” is used with a plural subject of the sentence irrespective of the indirect object.

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