How to say "I like" and "I don't like" hobbies in Spanish
How to say “I like” and “I don’t like” hobbies in Spanish
To say “I like” hobbies in Spanish, the most common phrase is me gusta followed by the activity or hobby. To say “I don’t like,” simply put no before it: no me gusta.
The basic pattern
For one hobby or an activity used as a singular idea, Spanish usually uses me gusta:
- Me gusta leer — I like reading
- Me gusta jugar al fútbol — I like playing soccer
- Me gusta cocinar — I like cooking
For a hobby or activity that is plural, or when speaking about several things at once, Spanish often uses me gustan:
- Me gustan los deportes — I like sports
- Me gustan los videojuegos — I like video games
- Me gustan las películas de comedia — I like comedy films
For the negative form, the pattern is the same, with no added in front:
- No me gusta bailar — I don’t like dancing
- No me gusta nadar — I don’t like swimming
- No me gustan los videojuegos — I don’t like video games
Why Spanish uses gustar differently
The verb gustar does not work exactly like “like” in English. In Spanish, the thing that is liked is the grammatical subject, while me shows who is affected.
That is why me gusta el café literally means something closer to “coffee is pleasing to me” than “I like coffee.” The structure feels unusual at first, but it is one of the most common Spanish patterns in conversation.
A few useful points:
- me = to me / I
- te = to you
- le = to him, her, or formal you
- nos = to us
- os = to you all, in Spain
- les = to them / you all
So the same pattern changes depending on the person:
- Me gusta bailar — I like dancing
- Te gusta bailar — You like dancing
- Le gusta bailar — He/she likes dancing
Singular or plural: how to choose gusta or gustan
The choice between gusta and gustan depends on what follows it.
Use gusta with:
- an infinitive verb: me gusta leer
- one singular noun: me gusta el té
Use gustan with:
- plural nouns: me gustan los libros
- plural activities or things presented as a group
Examples:
- Me gusta cantar — I like singing
- Me gusta el ajedrez — I like chess
- Me gustan las manualidades — I like crafts
- Me gustan los museos — I like museums
A common mistake is to choose the English logic of “I like” versus “I like many things.” In Spanish, the key question is whether the noun after gustar is singular or plural.
Talking about hobbies naturally
In everyday Spanish, hobbies are often expressed with an infinitive because the activity itself is treated as a general action:
- Me gusta leer
- Me gusta viajar
- Me gusta cocinar
- No me gusta correr
This is especially useful because it works for most common hobbies. The structure is simple, natural, and immediately understandable in conversation.
If the hobby is a specific noun, article use matters:
- Me gusta la música — I like music
- Me gustan las plantas — I like plants
- No me gusta el golf — I don’t like golf
Common mistakes
A frequent error is saying yo gusto to mean “I like.” In Spanish, yo gusto does not mean that. The correct form is me gusta.
Another common mistake is forgetting that gustar agrees with the thing liked, not with the person:
- Me gusta la película — correct
- Me gustan la película — incorrect
The plural form must match the noun:
- Me gustan las películas — correct
- Me gusta las películas — incorrect
Handy hobby examples
Here are some ready-to-use hobby phrases:
- Me gusta bailar — I like dancing
- Me gusta leer novelas — I like reading novels
- Me gusta tocar la guitarra — I like playing the guitar
- Me gusta hacer ejercicio — I like exercising
- No me gusta cocinar — I don’t like cooking
- No me gustan los deportes extremos — I don’t like extreme sports
In real conversation, these phrases are especially useful because they can be combined with follow-up questions like ¿Y a ti? (“And you?”) or ¿Qué te gusta hacer? (“What do you like to do?”). Active conversation practice helps these patterns become automatic faster than silent review alone.
Quick summary
- I like [something] = Me gusta [activity/hobby]
- I like [plural things] = Me gustan [plural activities/things]
- I don’t like [something] = No me gusta [activity/hobby]
- I don’t like [plural things] = No me gustan [plural activities/things]
The key idea is simple: in Spanish, gustar agrees with the thing liked, not with the person who likes it.