Difference Between Gusta and Gustan

Apr 14, 2023 · 5 min read ·

Share on:

Gusta and gustan are two different Spanish verbs. Spanish is interesting and also a very important language. But the usage of some similar words can be confusing for those whose mother tongue is not Spanish. An excellent example of this is the verb forms of gustar which are gusta and gustan. Their spelling is very similar and the only difference is the ‘n’ letter at the end of one of them.

Gusta vs Gustan

The main difference between gusta and gustan is that gusta is used when the subject is singular whereas gustan is used when the subject is in plural or more than one.

Gustar is the main verb in the Spanish language whose meaning is “to like” in English whereas in Spanish the verb has more of a positive vibe to it. In Spanish when you use the verb gustar it would refer that the subject you are referring to is “pleasing to” you.

Also, gusta will always be used if the main subject is singular irrespective of the indirect object which can be singular or plural.The same thing applies to gustan. Gustan will always be used if the main subject is in plural irrespective of the indirect object.

Comparison Table Between Gusta and Gustan (in Tabular Form)

Parameters of Comparison	Gusta	Gustan
Definition	Gusta is a Spanish verb that means “to like”. It is used when the subject is singular.	Gustan is a Spanish verb which also means “to like”. It is used when the subject is in plural.
Subject	The subject has to be one or single for the usage of this verb in the sentence.	The subject must be plural or more than one for the usage of this verb in the sentence.
Dependance on indirect object	If the main subject is singular then gusta will be used even if the indirect object is in plural.	If the main subject is in plural then gustan will be used even if the indirect subject is singular.
Dependance on pronouns	The verb does not depend on if the pronoun refers to a single person or more people.	The verb also does not depend on if the pronoun used in the sentence refers to one person or more.
Main verb	The main verb of gusta is gustar.	The main verb of gustan is also gustar.

What is Gusta?

Gusta is a verb in the Spanish language which means “to like”. It is one of the forms of the main verb “Gustar”. Gusta is used when the subject is in singular or the subject is only one object.

Some examples of the usage of the gusta verb in a sentence are-

Me gusta esta flor (I like this flower)

Me gusta este libro (I like this book)

Gusta is used irrespective of the indirect object. This means that if the main subject is singular and the indirect object is in plural, gusta will still be used. In Spanish language, the person saying the statement will always be considered as an indirect object.

Some examples of this are-

Nos(indirect object) gusta ese libro(main subject) (We like that book)

Me(indirect object) gusta ese pez(main subject) (I like that fish)

In the first example above, although the indirect object (we) is in plural still gusta is used as the main subject is singular (only one book). In the second example, both the indirect object and the main subject are singular and so gusta is used.

The verb is also not dependent on the pronouns used in the sentence. For example, gusta will be used for me, te, nos (I, you, we), if the subject is a single object.

What is Gustan?

Gustan is a verb in the Spanish language which means “to like”. It is also one of the forms of the main verb “Gustar”. Gustan is used when the subject is in plural or is more than one object.

Some examples of the usage of the gustan verb in a sentence are-

Me gustan estas flores (I like these flowers)

Me gustan estos libros (I like these books)

Juat like the verb gusta, gustan is also used irrespective of the indirect object. To be clear, if the main subject is in plural and the indirect object is a single object, gustan will always be used. Also the person saying the statement or the person referred in the statement will always be considered as an indirect object.

Some of the examples are-

Me (indirect object) gustan esos bolígrafos (main subject) (I like those pens)

Les (indirect object) gustan estos edificios (main subject) (They like these buildings)

In the first example stated above, the indirect object is a single person (I) while the main subject is in plural (pens) and thus gustan is used. In the second example, the main subject is in plural (buildings) and the indirect object is also in plural (they) and so gustan is used.

Gustan is also independent of the pronouns used in the sentences. For example, just like that in gusta, gustan will be used for me, te, nos (I, you, we), if the subject is in plural or is more than one object.

Main Differences Between Gusta and Gustan

Gusta and Gustan are both Spanish verbs. The main verb form is Gustar.

Gusta is used when the object is singular and Gustar is used when the object is in plural.

Both gusta and Gustan are independent of the indirect object.

Both of them are independent of the pronouns used in the sentence.

Although they mean “to like” but in Spanish it translates into “pleasing to” which gives a positive effect to the sentence.

Conclusion

Gusta and Gustan are Spanish verbs and the main verb is gustar. Gusta is used when the subject is singular whereas gustan is used when the subject is in plural or more than one.

They are not dependent on the indirect subject in the sentence or on the pronouns used. It can be only determined to whether use gusta or gustan in a sentence by analysing if the main subject is plural or singular.

ncG1vNJzZmiZo6Cur8XDop2fnaKau6SxjZympmeUnrOnsdGepZydXZeytcPEnqVmn6WowaJ5wKebZp%2BlqMGiuo4%3D