gustaba

Gustaba is the imperfect indicative form of the Spanish verb gustar. In Spanish grammar, gustar functions differently from many verbs: the thing that is liked is the grammatical subject, and the person who experiences the liking is expressed with an indirect object pronoun, such as me, te, le, nos, os, or les.

The form gustaba is used with a singular or plural object to indicate past liking. When the liked thing is singular, you use gustaba; when it is plural, you use gustaban. Examples: “Me gustaba la música” (I used to like the music) and “Me gustaban las canciones” (I used to like the songs). Other subjects use corresponding pronouns: “Te gustaba el libro,” “Nos gustaban las plazas,” “A ustedes les gustaba el cine.”

Gustaba conveys a past or habitual feeling. If you want to express a single past event, the preterite form gustó is used: “Me gustó la película.” In the present tense, the forms are gusta (singular) and gustan (plural): “Me gusta la música” or “Me gustan las canciones.”

Negative and emphasis forms follow the same pattern: “no me gustaba” or “no me gustó.” For emphasis or clarification, speakers sometimes add phrases like “a mí” or “a mí me gustaba” to stress who experienced the feeling.

Etymology traces gustar to the root gustus/gusto in Latin, related to taste and preference. Gustar is a common, everyday verb in Spanish, frequently contrasted with agradar, and used across dialects with similar construction, though usage can vary by region.