In Spanish, gustar and encantar are both used to express liking something, but they differ in intensity. Gustar means "to like," while encantar means "to love" (in the sense of really liking something a lot).
Usage
Both verbs are used in the same grammatical way, focusing on the object being liked rather than the subject doing the liking.
Sentence Structure
The basic structure is:
[Indirect object pronoun] + [verb] + [subject (thing being liked)]
- me, te, le, nos, os, les = indirect object pronouns (to me, to you, to him/her, etc.)
- The verb agrees with the subject (the thing liked), not the pronoun.
Examples with gustar
- Me gusta el chocolate. (I like chocolate.)
- Te gustan los perros. (You like dogs.)
- Nos gusta viajar. (We like to travel.)
Examples with encantar
- Me encanta el chocolate. (I love chocolate.)
- Le encantan los perros. (He/She loves dogs.)
- Nos encanta viajar. (We love to travel.)
Meaning
- Gustar = to like
- Encantar = to love (to like very much)
Intensity
- Gustar expresses a general liking.
- Encantar expresses a stronger, more enthusiastic liking.
Summary
You can safely use gustar for most situations and use encantar when you want to emphasize that you really, really like something.
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Last updated: Thu Jul 17, 2025