Gustar

rolfdog said:

I fear I have been using gustar wrongly at times. As a defective verb it is only conjugated in the third person. My confusion happens when in this hypothetical conversation:

Te gusta a ella?

Si, me gusta.

Then I ask

La gusto a mi? ( Do I please her?) I know that is not correct

Should I say

Le gusta a mi? (Am I pleasing to her?)

Thanks

Steve

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I don't think "defective" is not the term you mean. As far as the term "please" as it relates to Spansih, there are various translations that might fit better than your example - but it depends on context. If it means to like querer is the better choice.

rolfdog said:

I fear I have been using gustar wrongly at times. As a defective verb it is only conjugated in the third person. My confusion happens when in this hypothetical conversation:

Te gusta a ella?

Si, me gusta.

Then I ask

La gusto a mi? ( Do I please her?) I know that is not correct

Should I say

Le gusta a mi? (Am I pleasing to her?)

Thanks

Steve

Click to expand...

Yo le gusto a ella?
Le gusto a ella?
Yo le gusto?
Le gusto?

you can say it any of those ways.... it's all the same thing.

but querer can also be misinterpreted as "to love, to desire". Which can be to strong a verb when one is looking for "to like". I had the same inquiry with respect to gustar and caer. You re asking how to manipulate the verb where the pronoun and verb tense. Because you dont use this verb like the other normal ones.

RacerX said:

but querer can also be misinterpreted as "to love, to desire". Which can be to strong a verb when one is looking for "to like".

Click to expand...

Not exactly. Querer is used among friends. The meaning is understood. If this guy likes a girl more than platonicaly he just simply need to say "te quiero mucho".

te quiero = I love you / te amo = I love you

Chip said:

Not exactly. Querer is used among friends. The meaning is understood. If this guy likes a girl more than platonicaly he just simply need to say "te quiero mucho".

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It can be used with friends, family and lovers. As for (Chip's comment regarding) "desire," the verb "desear" is useful in this context, e.g., te deseo (which, depending on the context, would be understood as "I want you"...in a sexual sense).

As for "te amo," I was surprised to see in Mexico (where I lived two years) that it was not uncommon for people to use this with family members, as well. In the DR (three years and numerous trips, spanning more than a decade), I never heard this, as its use is normally limited to lovers, spouses, etc...

I hope this helps!

I would not use gustar when talking about another girl in a bar with my girl present. I would use caer. Trust me, I learned this the hard way.

I think that "te quiero mucho" means I love you in the DR.