15 Spanish Verbs Like Gustar: Doler, Fascinar, Molestar, and More

Hi, I’m Kodak.

Many Spanish learners understand the basic meaning of:

Then they encounter sentences such as:

These sentences communicate very different ideas, but they share a useful pattern.

The person experiencing the feeling, sensation, opinion, or situation is often represented by:

The verb then agrees with the person, thing, activity, or situation that produces that experience.

This is why Spanish learners often call them “verbs like gustar” or “gustar-type verbs.”

In this article, we will examine:

• how verbs like gustar work
• why the verb changes between singular and plural
• how to use me, te, le, nos, os, and les
• the meanings of doler, fascinar, molestar, encantar, interesar, importar, parecer, apetecer, quedar, and faltar
• which verbs follow exactly the same formal grammar and which only share a similar visible pattern
• the mistakes beginners make most often

What Are Gustar-Type Verbs?

Gustar-type verbs are verbs that learners commonly use in a pattern similar to:

A useful way to understand the Spanish sentence is:

In natural English, we normally reorganize this as:

The same perspective can help with many other Spanish verbs:

The natural English translation may begin with I, my, or another person. The Spanish sentence is often organized around the source of the experience.

The Core Image of Verbs Like Gustar

The sentence contains two important roles:

For example:

Are Gustar-Type Verbs Reflexive?

No. Verbs such as gustar, encantar, interesar, and doler are not normally reflexive in these sentences.

A reflexive construction means that the subject performs an action on itself:

The subject and the person receiving the action are the same.

In a sentence such as:

Ana experiences the liking, but el chocolate is the thing that produces it. The two roles are different.

The pronouns may look similar to reflexive pronouns, but their function is different:

A Grammar Note About the Term “Gustar-Type Verb”

Gustar-type verb is a useful teaching label, but it is not a single exact grammatical category covering every verb in this article.

Some verbs, including gustar, encantar, interesar, and doler, are commonly analyzed as intransitive verbs of feeling or affection with an indirect-object experiencer.

Other verbs can share the same visible sentence pattern while having different formal analyses.

From a beginner’s perspective, both sentences are still useful to learn beside me gusta because:

• the source of the feeling commonly appears after the verb
• the verb agrees with that source
• the person experiencing the effect appears as a pronoun before the verb

This article focuses on that practical shared pattern rather than claiming that every verb has identical formal syntax in all of its uses.

Me, Te, Le, Nos, Os, and Les

The pronoun identifies the person who experiences the liking, pain, fascination, annoyance, interest, or other effect.

Compare the same subject with different experiencers:

The verb remains gusta because the subject esta película remains singular.

Singular vs. Plural Agreement

The most important rule is:

Use the Singular with One Thing

Me gusta el libro.
I like the book.

Me interesa el curso.
The course interests me.

Me molesta el ruido.
The noise bothers me.

Me duele la pierna.
My leg hurts.

Use the Plural with Multiple Things

Me gustan los libros.
I like books.

Me interesan los cursos.
The courses interest me.

Me molestan los ruidos.
The noises bother me.

Me duelen las piernas.
My legs hurt.

Using an Infinitive as the Subject

An activity expressed by an infinitive normally takes a singular verb.

Me gusta viajar.
I like traveling.

Me encanta cocinar.
I love cooking.

Me interesa aprender español.
I am interested in learning Spanish.

Me molesta esperar.
Waiting bothers me.
I dislike waiting.

Me apetece salir.
I feel like going out.

The infinitive represents one activity or idea, so the common form is singular.

Using Que + Subjunctive

A complete situation can also function as the source of an emotional reaction.

With verbs expressing liking, annoyance, concern, or emotional response, Spanish commonly uses:

Me gusta que vengas.
I like that you come.
I like it when you come.

Me encanta que me llames.
I love that you call me.

Me molesta que hables tan alto.
It bothers me that you speak so loudly.

Me preocupa que no responda.
I am worried that he or she is not answering.

Compare the infinitive and the complete clause:

A Mí Me, A Ti Te, and A Él Le

Spanish can add an a + person phrase to emphasize or clarify the experiencer.

The shorter pronoun normally remains present:

Use the A-Phrase for Emphasis

A mí me encanta, pero a Carlos no.
I love it, but Carlos does not.

Use It to Clarify Le or Les

Le can mean “to him,” “to her,” or “to you formally.”

Add a name or pronoun to clarify:

Common Spanish Verbs Like Gustar

1. Gustar — “To Like”

Gustar is the model learners normally encounter first.

Me gusta esta canción.
I like this song.

Me gustan estas canciones.
I like these songs.

Me gusta bailar.
I like dancing.

2. Encantar — “To Love” or “To Delight”

Encantar expresses much stronger enthusiasm than gustar.

Me encanta esta película.
I love this movie.

Me encantan estas películas.
I love these movies.

Me encanta viajar.
I love traveling.

When the subject is the person addressed as tú, use encantas:

Me encantas.
I adore you.
I’m crazy about you.

3. Fascinar — “To Fascinate”

Fascinar expresses powerful interest, attraction, or fascination.

Me fascina la astronomía.
Astronomy fascinates me.
I am fascinated by astronomy.

Me fascinan las culturas antiguas.
Ancient cultures fascinate me.

Me fascina aprender cómo funciona el cerebro.
I am fascinated by learning how the brain works.

Fascinar is generally stronger and more intellectually or emotionally absorbing than interesar.

4. Interesar — “To Interest”

Interesar expresses interest or relevance.

Me interesa la historia.
History interests me.
I am interested in history.

Me interesan los idiomas.
Languages interest me.
I am interested in languages.

Me interesa aprender más.
I am interested in learning more.

To ask whether someone is interested, say:

Me Interesa vs. Estoy Interesado

The adjective interesado / interesada agrees with the person. The verb in me interesa agrees with the thing producing the interest.

5. Importar — “To Matter”

Importar expresses importance or concern.

Me importa tu opinión.
Your opinion matters to me.
I care about your opinion.

Me importan tus sentimientos.
Your feelings matter to me.
I care about your feelings.

No me importa.
It does not matter to me.
I do not care.

No me importa can sound neutral, dismissive, or rude depending on tone.

To ask politely whether something is acceptable:

¿Te importa si abro la ventana?
Do you mind if I open the window?

6. Molestar — “To Bother” or “To Annoy”

Molestar expresses annoyance, discomfort, or inconvenience.

Me molesta el ruido.
The noise bothers me.

Me molestan los ruidos fuertes.
Loud noises bother me.

Me molesta esperar tanto.
Waiting so long bothers me.

Me molesta que llegues tarde.
It bothers me that you arrive late.

¿Te Molesta Si…?

A useful polite question is:

¿Te molesta si me siento aquí?
Do you mind if I sit here?

¿Te molesta si cierro la puerta?
Do you mind if I close the door?

Molestar vs. Molestarse

Molestarse is pronominal and describes becoming annoyed, taking offense, or making an effort.

7. Doler — “To Hurt”

Doler expresses physical or emotional pain.

It is irregular in the present tense:

Use Duele with One Body Part

Me duele la cabeza.
My head hurts.
I have a headache.

Me duele el brazo.
My arm hurts.

Me duele la espalda.
My back hurts.

Use Duelen with Multiple Body Parts

Me duelen los pies.
My feet hurt.

Me duelen las piernas.
My legs hurt.

Spanish commonly uses the definite article with body parts because the pronoun already identifies the affected person:

The same pattern works with different experiencers:

Doler can also describe emotional pain:

Me duele lo que dijiste.
What you said hurts me.

8. Preocupar — “To Worry” or “To Concern”

Preocupar expresses worry or concern caused by something.

Me preocupa el examen.
The exam worries me.
I am worried about the exam.

Me preocupan los resultados.
The results worry me.

Me preocupa no tener suficiente tiempo.
I am worried about not having enough time.

Me preocupa que no conteste.
I am worried that he or she is not answering.

Me Preocupa vs. Estoy Preocupado

9. Parecer — “To Seem”

Parecer expresses a judgment, impression, or opinion.

Me parece interesante.
It seems interesting to me.
I think it is interesting.

Me parecen interesantes estos libros.
These books seem interesting to me.

Me parece una buena idea.
It seems like a good idea to me.
I think it is a good idea.

The adjective also agrees with the subject:

¿Qué Te Parece?

¿Qué te parece esta idea?
What do you think of this idea?

10. Apetecer — “To Feel Like”

Apetecer expresses a present desire or something that sounds appealing.

Me apetece un café.
I feel like having a coffee.
A coffee sounds good to me.

Me apetece salir.
I feel like going out.

No me apetece cocinar.
I do not feel like cooking.

¿Te apetece una cerveza?
Do you feel like having a beer?
Would you like a beer?

Apetecer is especially frequent in Spain. Speakers in other regions may prefer expressions such as:

11. Quedar — “To Fit” or “To Suit”

In one common use, quedar describes how clothing fits or looks on someone.

Me queda bien esta camisa.
This shirt looks good on me.
This shirt suits me.

Me quedan grandes estos zapatos.
These shoes are too big for me.

Te queda perfecto el vestido.
The dress fits you perfectly.
The dress looks perfect on you.

The verb agrees with the item:

12. Faltar — “To Be Missing” or “To Lack”

Faltar identifies something that a person lacks or still needs.

Me falta tiempo.
I lack time.
I do not have enough time.

Me faltan dos euros.
I am two euros short.

Nos falta una silla.
We are missing one chair.
We need one more chair.

Nos faltan tres sillas.
We are missing three chairs.

The missing item is the grammatical subject:

13. Sobrar — “To Be Left Over”

Sobrar is often the opposite of faltar.

Me sobra comida.
I have food left over.

Me sobran dos entradas.
I have two extra tickets.

14. Convenir — “To Suit” or “To Be Advisable”

Convenir can mean that something is suitable, beneficial, or advisable for someone.

Me conviene esperar.
It is better for me to wait.
Waiting is advisable for me.

No te conviene gastar tanto dinero.
It is not good for you to spend so much money.

Nos conviene salir temprano.
It would be best for us to leave early.

These Verbs Are Not Limited to Gusta and Gustan

Beginners often learn only the third-person forms because the subject is usually a thing or activity.

However, these verbs can use other persons when the subject is a person.

The verb ending identifies the subject:

How to Make Negative Sentences

Place no before the experiencer pronoun:

No me gusta.
I do not like it.

No me interesa.
It does not interest me.

No me molesta.
It does not bother me.

No me importa.
It does not matter to me.
I do not mind.

No me apetece salir.
I do not feel like going out.

How to Ask Questions

Spanish normally keeps the same word order and uses question marks and questioning intonation.

¿Te gusta esta canción?
Do you like this song?

¿Te interesan estos cursos?
Are you interested in these courses?

¿Te molesta el ruido?
Does the noise bother you?

¿Te duele la cabeza?
Does your head hurt?

¿Te parece bien?
Does that seem okay to you?
Does that sound good?

Useful question patterns include:

Using Gustar-Type Verbs in the Past

The same agreement rule continues in past tenses.

Me encantó el viaje.
I loved the trip.

Me encantaron las ciudades.
I loved the cities.

Me dolió la espalda ayer.
My back hurt yesterday.

Me dolieron las piernas después de correr.
My legs hurt after running.

Me preocupó la noticia.
The news worried me.

Me preocuparon sus comentarios.
His or her comments worried me.

Natural Conversation Examples

1. Talking About Interests

2. Expressing Fascination

3. Asking About Pain

4. Asking Permission Politely

5. Expressing Concern

6. Asking for an Opinion

7. Talking About Clothing

8. Describing Something Missing

Common Beginner Mistakes

Mistake 1: Treating the Experiencer as the Subject

Mistake 2: Making the Verb Agree with Me or Te

The verb agrees with los libros.

Mistake 3: Using a Plural Verb Before an Infinitive

Mistake 4: Removing the Short Pronoun

Mistake 5: Thinking These Verbs Are Reflexive

Me gusta and me duele do not contain reflexive pronouns in their normal uses.

Mistake 6: Using Possessives with Body Parts

Mistake 7: Confusing Duele and Duelen

Mistake 8: Confusing Me Gusta and Me Gustas

Mistake 9: Assuming Every Verb Has Identical Grammar

The term gustar-type verb is a learning aid. Some verbs also have transitive, pronominal, or unrelated meanings.

Learn each verb’s common patterns as well as the shared sentence model.

A Simple Method for Building the Sentence

When creating a sentence with a gustar-type verb, follow these four steps.

Step 1: Choose the Person Experiencing the Effect

Step 2: Find the Source of the Effect

Ask:

Step 3: Decide Whether It Is Singular or Plural

Step 4: Add Emphasis or Clarification if Necessary

Example

English idea: “Loud noises bother me.”

Frequently Asked Questions About Verbs Like Gustar

What are verbs like gustar in Spanish?

Common verbs learned with a pattern similar to gustar include encantar, fascinar, interesar, importar, molestar, doler, preocupar, parecer, apetecer, quedar, and faltar.

How do gustar-type verbs work?

The person experiencing the effect is commonly shown with me, te, le, nos, os, or les. The verb agrees with the thing, person, activity, or situation producing that effect.

Are verbs like gustar reflexive?

No. In a normal sentence such as Me gusta el café, the subject and the person experiencing the liking are different.

Why do verbs like gustar usually use third-person forms?

They frequently have a thing, activity, or situation as their subject. These subjects commonly require third-person singular or plural forms. The verbs can use other persons when a person is the subject, as in Me gustas.

What is the difference between gusta and gustan?

Use gusta with one thing or an infinitive. Use gustan with plural things.

Why is it me duelen los pies?

Los pies is the plural subject, so doler uses the plural form duelen.

What is the difference between me interesa and me fascina?

Me interesa expresses interest. Me fascina expresses a stronger sense of fascination, powerful attraction, or curiosity.

What is the difference between me molesta and me duele?

Me molesta means that something bothers, annoys, or causes discomfort. Me duele specifically expresses physical or emotional pain.

What does me importa mean?

Me importa means “It matters to me” or “I care about it.” No me importa can mean “I do not mind” or “I do not care,” depending on context.

What does me apetece mean?

Me apetece means “I feel like it” or that something sounds appealing. It is especially common in Spain.

Why do Spanish speakers say a mí me gusta?

A mí adds emphasis or contrast. The short pronoun me remains part of the normal construction.

Can gustar-type verbs be followed by an infinitive?

Yes. The infinitive normally takes a singular verb, as in Me gusta viajar and Me interesa aprender español.

Do gustar-type verbs use the subjunctive?

They often use the subjunctive when followed by a que clause expressing an emotional reaction, as in Me molesta que llegues tarde.

Is fascinar exactly the same type of verb as gustar?

Not in every formal grammatical analysis. However, learners often study sentences such as Me fascina el espacio beside Me gusta el espacio because they share a similar visible order and agreement pattern.

Spanish Verbs Like Gustar: Summary