| Why learn Spanish of all languages? | | | | Of course dog (“perro”) must now become |
| Why not Italian, French, or even Russian, because it | | | | plural (“perros”). |
| seems to be the most practical language to have | | | | But the article (“el”) must also become plural |
| these days living in the US. | | | | (“los”). |
| With an ever-expanding Latin American population, | | | | And the verb must change from third person singular |
| being able to speak a language that is becoming so | | | | (“gusta”) tothird person plural (“gustan”). |
| widely used would be an invaluable asset. Schools are | | | | Let’s try it: |
| even becoming bi-lingual and Spanish is stressed. | | | | I like the dogs. |
| | | | Me gustan los perros. |
| There are even parts of the country; Miami springs to | | | | You like the lakes |
| mind, where there are most likely more people for | | | | Te gustan los lagos. |
| whom Spanish is their first language than there are | | | | She likes the streams |
| people who are native English speakers. | | | | Le gustan los arroyos. |
| Even outside of the states, Spanish is one of the most | | | | We like the rivers. |
| widely spoken languages in the world; the ranking is | | | | Nos gustan los ríos. |
| apparently in dispute as I found numerous statistics. | | | | They like the waterfalls. |
| Most Latin American countries, those in Central and | | | | Les gustan las cataratas. |
| South America speak Spanish with an ever increasing | | | | The following is the manner that we add clarity or |
| amount of people in the United States. | | | | emphasis, or mention the name of the personor |
| That is almost an entire hemisphere full of a language. | | | | persons that the object is pleasing to. |
| And then there is Spain as well, while that Spanish | | | | A Carlos le gusta nadar. |
| may be slightly different than the Spanish in Latin | | | | Carlos likes to swim. |
| America, Spanish it still is. | | | | A mí me gusta la playa. |
| There are an ever-increasing amount of reasons why | | | | I like the beach. |
| people should learn Spanish. Not only because of the | | | | A ti te gusta la orilla del mar. |
| amount of people who speak it but in a more selfish | | | | You like the seashore. |
| way it is becoming increasingly valuable to speak a | | | | The boys like the forest. |
| second language professionally. The problem is that | | | | A los chicos les gusta el bosque. |
| people in the United States tend to be more than a | | | | They like the pool. |
| little arrogant in their thought that English is the most | | | | A ellos les gusta la piscina. |
| important language and they simply don’t need to | | | | There are quite a few verbs in Spanish that follow the |
| speak anything else. | | | | same construction as the verb “gustar.” |
| Being bilingual gives one opportunities to live and work | | | | Here are just a few. |
| outside of the country that would be unavailable | | | | Importar (to be important to) |
| otherwise. It gives one options. And given the large | | | | Interesar (to be interesting to) |
| amount of counties in which Spanish is spoken it gives | | | | Faltar (to be lacking to) |
| one a lot of options. | | | | Molestar (to bother or to annoy – note that this |
| Here is some of the english to spanish sentence | | | | word does not mean to “molest”) |
| Translation that may help you later | | | | Encantar (to like) |
| If there’s one verb that gave me a lot of trouble | | | | I have also been confused about when to use |
| when I first started learning Spanish grammar that verb | | | | “gustar.” Despite what the textbooks say,you |
| was “gustar.” Many of the Spanish lessons and | | | | can use “gustar” to indicate that you like |
| Spanish classes that I took in order to learn Spanish | | | | someone as in “being physically attractive to |
| only confused me even more about the use of | | | | someone.” |
| “gustar. | | | | For example, |
| ” “Gustar” means “to be pleasing to” | | | | Tú me gustas. |
| or “to find pleasant.” But in many instances, | | | | I like you. |
| Spanish speakers use it the same way that we use | | | | Me gusta Carmen. |
| the verb “to like.” | | | | I like Carmen. |
| For example, in Spanish you don’t literally say: | | | | But if you want to say that you like someone as in |
| “I like the dog.” | | | | “I get along well with (name),”there’s a |
| In Spanish you would say: | | | | different way to say it. |
| “Me gusta el perro”. | | | | Me cae bien Carmen. |
| That literally means “the dog is pleasing to me.” | | | | I like Carmen or I get along well with Carmen. Literally, it |
| Actually, it means “it pleases me the dog.” | | | | means “Carmen falls well on me.” |
| It may sound strange to your English-hearing ears. But | | | | No me cae bien María. |
| you will getused to it. Let’s try it. I like the house. | | | | I don’t like María or I don’t get along well with |
| Me gusta la casa. | | | | María. |
| I don’t like the car. | | | | No me caes bien tú, Or, Tú no me caes bien. |
| No me gusta el carro. | | | | I don’t get along well with you. |
| You like the table. | | | | Let’s do a few exercises with “gustar.” |
| Te gusta la mesa. | | | | Translate the following sentences adding emphasis on |
| He likes the screen/monitor. | | | | the person or persons that the object is pleasing to. |
| Le gusta la pantalla. | | | | The answers appear below. |
| We like the bridge. | | | | 1. I like the cats. |
| Nos gusta el puente. | | | | 2. You like the wedding. (Add emphasis to “you” |
| They like to lie. | | | | using the familiar form of “you.”) |
| Les gusta mentir. | | | | 3. Joseph likes the building. |
| If you want to say “I like the dogs,” a couple of | | | | 4. We like the shirts. |
| changes haveto take place. Can you guess what | | | | 5. All of you like the insects. |
| those changes are? | | | | |