Can the subject be placed in front of the verb

[literacola]

Another question that is off'topic. When using the verb gustar, can the subject be placed in front of the verb instead of after it? I often see

Me gusta el café.

but can it be said as

El café me gusta.

Gracias

[Rusty]

Absolutely. The subject can go in either place.

[Tomisimo]

As Rusty says, the subject can go on either side of the verb. In fact, Spanish is more flexible about this than English:

Juan is going to the store.
Juan va a la tienda.
Va a la tienda Juan.
Va Juan a la tienda.

[literacola]

wow..I did not know that. So this is true of all verbs. Is there any difference in placement such as emphasis? How do native speakers place subjects in sentences and what are their reasons for choosing one over the other?

thanks guys

[sosia]

Originally Posted by literacola

wow..I did not know that. So this is true of all verbs. Is there any difference in placement such as emphasis? How do native speakers place subjects in sentences and what are their reasons for choosing one over the other?

thanks guys

When you discover it, tell me
Usually you put first or at the very end what do you want to remark
Me gusta mucho el café. YOU. We are talking about your preferences.
El café me gusta mucho. COFFEE. We are talking about coffee.
In both the meaning of the sentence is the same "I like coffee" or "coffee it's what I like"
In so a short sentence is not so easy to play. With long ones it's more easy.
But usually strange placement it's only used in lirycs.
Saludos

[Jessica]

my teacher said you can do that......
¿Cuánto tiempo hace que nada Felipe?
or
¿Cuánto tiempo hace que Felipe nada?

It can be either one, that's what Sra said.

[CrOtALiTo]

Originally Posted by jchen

my teacher said you can do that......
¿Cuánto tiempo hace que nadar Felipe?
or
¿Cuánto tiempo hace que Felipe nadar?

It can be either one, that's what Sra said.

Answer's Literacola are accurate.

Jchen, you made it up, because your examples are in a wrong.

You mean to say, Cuanto tiempo tiene or hace que felipe nada?

Cuanto tiempo tiene que felipe nada.


As you have wrote the last examples does make sence for me, and I believe that your teacher is a wrong.

[Jessica]

She is not wrong

[Tomisimo]

¿Cuánto tiempo hace que nada Felipe?
¿Cuánto tiempo hace que Felipe nada?
¿Hace cuánto tiempo que nada Felipe?
¿Hace cuánto tiempo que Felipe nada?

[literacola]

Originally Posted by sosia

When you discover it, tell me
Usually you put first or at the very end what do you want to remark
Me gusta mucho el café. YOU. We are talking about your preferences.
El café me gusta mucho. COFFEE. We are talking about coffee.
In both the meaning of the sentence is the same "I like coffee" or "coffee it's what I like"
In so a short sentence is not so easy to play. With long ones it's more easy.
But usually strange placement it's only used in lirycs.
Saludos

Thank you sosia.

¿Te molesta la nieve?

No, la temperatura fría me molesta.

Are you bothered by the snow?

No, the cold temperature is what bothers me.

Am I correct in my assumption of the emphasis here?

[CrOtALiTo]

Literacola you are right, the snow bothered me.


Jchen, you are a wrong, because the sentence. you have said before sounds bad it.

[Jessica]

Well, I fixed it.

[CrOtALiTo]

Ok, I hope you get more help of us, please you keep it up learning your Spanish, until now, you have made it very well.

[sosia]

Originally Posted by literacola

Thank you sosia.

¿Te molesta la nieve?

No, la temperatura fría me molesta.

Are you bothered by the snow?

No, the cold temperature is what bothers me.

Am I correct in my assumption of the emphasis here?

Yes, but you forgot the verb
¿Te molesta la nieve?
No, es la temperatura fría lo que me molesta.
Here you remark the temperature.
The usual answer is:
No, lo que me molesta es la temepratura fría.
Both are OK, but the first one has more emphasis.
Saludos

[literacola]

Originally Posted by sosia

Yes, but you forgot the verb
¿Te molesta la nieve?
No, es la temperatura fría lo que me molesta.
Here you remark the temperature.
The usual answer is:
No, lo que me molesta es la temepratura fría.
Both are OK, but the first one has more emphasis.
Saludos

thank you