grammer question from a movie

[canyonff]

I was watching I, Robot in spanish the other day and there is a scene where Will Smith, after being attacked by a robot, is talking to the co-star about cats. He had saved the cat during the robot attack. In english the dialouge is:

W.S "Do you like cats?"
girl "what?!"
W.S. "Cats, do you like them?"

However in Spanish, the speech and subtitles read:
¿Le gustan los gatos?
¿Que?
Los gatos, ¿le gustan?

Which to my understanding, is actually asking if cats like her not if she likes cats. Am I right? And if so is there a specific reason why it's worded in this manner, or is it just incorrect?

[Rusty]

This is perfectly formed Spanish, and will take a little time to master.

Let me try to explain it. Others may want to chime in.

Instead of the English 'you like them (the cats),' think 'they (the cats) like you.'

In Spanish, the English object (the cats) is conveyed by the conjugated verb gustar. Since 'cats' is plural, the 3rd person plural ending is used. If the object were singular, the 3rd person singular ending would be used instead. The English subject becomes the Spanish object, which precedes the verb. In this case, le represents 'you.'

The subject of the sentence (if it is unknown or if needed for emphasis) follows the conjugated verb.

I like the book. Me gusta el libro.
I like cats. Me gustan los gatos.

[Rusty]

Here's a good link that explains gustar:
http://www.indiana.edu/~spangram/GENGRAM/gustar.html

[canyonff]

gracias por la ayuda Rusty. After I read your first post It made me remember there was a special way to deal with gustar and similar verbs so I checked a site I visit frequently for a quick refresher. So I understand it now.

me gustan los fantas
?le gusta el fanta?
me gusta a Maria.

I'm heading to bed now, but I'll check out your other link tomorrow. thanks again.

[Alfonso]

Some small corrections for you, Canyonff

Originally Posted by canyonff

me gusta la fanta.
¿le gusta la fanta?
me gusta María.

[poli]

The verb gustar is not equal to like. Gustar means, it pleases. A common
way to say you like something in Spanish would translate it pleases.
For example: I like pizza translated directly from Spanish would be pizza
pleases me.(A mi me gusta la pizza)

If you want to say it in the more direct English style, heres how:
Lo encuentro agradable


.(I find it agreeable)

Be careful of the way you use gustar when talking about a person.
A mi me gusta Juan might mean that you really like Juan.
An alternative more neutral way of saying the same thing is:
A mi me cae bien Juan. A direct translation to English is Juan falls well
with me.


So in many cases caer biencan be and should be used in place of gustar.

[Alfonso]

Mmmmmm... I find some of the explanations given here a little complex, since you try to explain gustar comparing it with English verbs.
I would have to think a lot to find out if gustar and to please work the same way.
Regarding to like, It doesn't work the same grammatically, but I think it means the same than gustar.

I think that the point is that gustar works like this:

(A mí) me gusta(n)... I like
(A ti) te gusta(n)... You like
(A él, a ella, a usted) le gusta(n)... He / she likes, also you in a formal speech.
(A nosotros-as) nos gusta(n)... We like
(A vosotros-as) os gusta(n)... You like (plural).
(A ellos-as, ustedes) les gusta(n)... They like, also you (plural) in a formal speech.

Me gusta el cine. (Singular)
Me gustan los gatos. (Plural)
Me gusta cocinar. (Plus infinitive)
Me gusta María. (Plus a person)

¿Te gusta el cine?
¿Te gustan los gatos?
¿Te gusta cocinar?
¿Te gusta María?

Etc. Some exercises on this will be perfect to master it!

[Elaina]

Mmmm....

Estoy de acuerdo con Alfonso.

Me gusta = I like

Claro en el ejemplo de: Me gusta Juan. Esta frase puede tener una connotación impropia. Pero uno puede decir: Me gusta la forma de ser de Juan. -O- Juan me cae bien.

Me gusta la pizza.

Pizza pleases me. (unheard of)

Elaina

[poli]

Gustar works just like to please in English.

In English, I please pizza makes about as much sense as yo gusto pizza.
However,pizza pleases me is about as close a translation of me gusta la pizza as possible.
It is conjugated the same way.

I like... is more like: lo encuentro agradable.

[Alfonso]

Not exactly, Poli, since Pizza pleases me is an SVOd phrase, and Me gusta la pizza is a OiVS phrase.

That's to say, you can turn into a passive form Pizza pleases me: I'm pleased by pizza.

But you cannot turn into passive Me gusta la pizza, as it hasn't got a direct object. Me is an indirect object.

And I don't think this is the only difference. There must be some more.

Am I wrong? Pls., tell me!