gustó

Gustó is the pretérito indefinido (simple past) third-person singular form of the Spanish verb gustar. It is used to express that something pleased someone in the past. In gustar constructions, the thing that is pleasing is the grammatical subject, while the person who experienced the pleasure is the indirect object.

In gustar constructions, the indirect object pronouns me, te, le, nos, os, les indicate who is pleased. In the past tense, gustó is used with singular or uncountable subjects, while gustaron is used with plural subjects. For example: Me gustó la película. A Juan le gustó el libro. Nos gustaron las canciones.

Gustar is often described as an impersonal or experiential verb. The present tense forms are gusta for singular subjects and gustan for plural subjects (Me gusta, Me gustan). To emphasize or specify the person who experiences the pleasure, phrases like "A mí" or "A Juan" can be added: "A mí me gustó." Imperfect forms such as gustaba and gustaban express past habits or ongoing preferences: "Cuando era niño, me gustaban los dibujos animados."

Usage notes include that gustar expresses a perception or preference rather than an active action by the subject. It can be followed by a subordinate clause or an infinitive: "Me gustó leer ese libro" or "Me gusta comer temprano." The verb gustar is related semantically to other verbs like encantar, interesar, and molestar, which similarly affect the speaker’s feelings rather than describing an action performed by the subject.

Etymology traces gustar to Latin gustus, from gustare, meaning to taste or to have a liking.