Whether you're browsing a local market in Mexico City, shopping at a mall in Madrid, or purchasing groceries in Buenos Aires, knowing shopping vocabulary in Spanish is essential for travelers and learners alike. Today, we'll explore the words and phrases you need to navigate any shopping experience with confidence.
Let's start by learning the names of different types of stores you might visit while shopping in Spanish-speaking countries.
The word tienda is the general term for "store" or "shop" in Spanish. You'll hear this everywhere!
Me encuentro en la increíble tienda de Lego aquí en Barcelona,
I'm at the amazing Lego store here in Barcelona,
Caption 5, Víctor en España La tienda Lego de Barcelona
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When you need to buy groceries and household items, head to el supermercado.
¿sabe si hay algún supermercado cercano abierto todavía?"
Do you know if there's any supermarket nearby still open?"
Caption 26, Aprendiendo con Silvia Horas, fechas y períodos de tiempo - Part 4
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In Latin America, you'll often hear centro comercial for shopping mall/center. In Spain, many people also use el centro comercial or simply las tiendas.
y la segunda en el centro comercial Larios en el centro de Málaga.
and the second one in the Larios shopping center in downtown Málaga.
Caption 59, Adriana Mi historia con el café
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Traditional markets remain popular throughout Latin America and Spain for fresh produce, meats, and local goods.
Y muy atentos, porque hoy os he traído hasta El Rastro, el mercado callejero más grande de todo Madrid.
And [be] very attentive because today, I've brought you to El Rastro, the biggest street market in all of Madrid.
Captions 3-4, Con Marta por Madrid El Rastro
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For high-end fashion and specialty items, you might visit una boutique.
Morgan, vamos a la boutique de mi amiga Mousy.
Morgan, we're going to my friend, Mousy' boutique.
Caption 1, Muñeca Brava 7 El poema - Part 4
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Now that you know where to shop, let's learn the key verbs you'll need during your shopping experience.
This is the most essential shopping verb. Comprar means "to buy" or "to purchase."
y voy a comprar al mercado,
and I'm going to buy at the market,
Caption 42, Cataluña y su gente Cristina de Reus
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The opposite of comprar is vender, which means "to sell."
y luego tú puedes vender, eh...
and then you can sell, um...
Caption 47, Isabel y Paula contigo Vida cultural en Madrid - Part 2
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When you're searching for a specific item, use the verb buscar.
Buscar, significa tratar de encontrar algo o a alguien.
"Buscar" [to look for] means to try to find something or someone.
Caption 29, Lecciones con Carolina Mirar, ver, y buscar
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Shopping for clothes? You'll want to probarse (try on) items before buying them.
Si gusta, puede probarse cualquier modelito, ¿ah?
If you want, you can try on any design, huh?
Caption 37, Otavalo Zapatos andinos
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When you're ready to complete your purchase, you'll need to pagar.
Vas a tener que pagar más dinero.
You're going to have to pay more money.
Caption 10, Fermín Frases y expresiones - Part 2
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To ask how much something costs, you'll use the verb costar.
pues, te va a costar más o menos.
well, it's going to cost you more or less.
Caption 14, Isabel y Paula contigo Transporte público en Madrid - Part 3
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When you decide to purchase something, you can say Me lo llevo (I'll take it).
Si viene un... extravagante a quererse llevar este, ¿en cuánto también estaría? Este es veinticinco.
If an... extravagant person comes and wants to take this one, how much would it cost too? This one is twenty-five.
Captions 27-29, Otavalo Totora - Part 2
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Being able to ask questions and communicate with shop assistants makes shopping much easier. Here are some essential phrases:
📌 This is probably the most important question you'll ask while shopping!
¿Cuánto cuesta esta cartera?"
How much does this purse cost?"
Caption 33, Ana Carolina Salir de compras
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Use this phrase to ask if a store has a particular item.
¿Tiene esta camisa en azul?
Do you have this shirt in blue?
When a salesperson approaches and you're just browsing, this phrase is useful:
Estoy mirando, gracias
I'm just looking, thank you
Need help finding something in the store? Ask ¿Dónde está...?
"¿Podría usted indicarme dónde está la plaza?"
"Could you [formal] tell me where the plaza is?"
Caption 45, Raquel Las direcciones
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A polite way to get assistance from store staff.
Disculpe, ¿me puede ayudar a encontrar una chaqueta?
Exceuse me, can you help me find a jacket?
When shopping for clothes, staff might ask you ¿Qué talla usa? The most common sizes are pequeña/chica (small), mediana (medium), grande (large), and extra grande (extra large).
Yo también; voy a preguntar si hay otra talla,
Me too; I'm going to ask if there is another size,
Caption 68, Cleer y Carolina De compras
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📌 It's also very common to refer to sizes by their letters: S (ese), M (eme), L (ele), and XL (equis ele).
Essential when shopping for clothes or shoes and the first size doesn't fit!
Before trying on clothes, you'll need to find el probador (the fitting room).
El siguiente paso es probarte el vestido en el probador.
The next step is to try on the dress in the fitting room.
Caption 31, Raquel Haciendo compras
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Always polite to ask permission before heading to the fitting room.
When it's time to pay, you'll need to know these terms:
The amount something costs is el precio.
He comprado dos por el precio de uno. -Mm...
I've bought two for the price of one. -Mm...
Caption 11, Extr@: Extra en español Ep. 7: La gemela - Part 3
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Head to la caja when you're ready to pay.
Desde que José administra la tienda, siempre falta dinero en la caja
Since Jose has been managing the store, money is always missing in the cash register,
Captions 42-43, Carlos explica Los cinco sentidos - Part 4
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The person who processes your payment is el cajero (male) or la cajera (female). Interestingly, cajero is also the term used for an ATM machine, which is called el cajero automático:
¡Oh! ¿Dónde está el cajero automático?
Oh! Where's the ATM?
Caption 36, Natalia de Ecuador Palabras de uso básico
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If you're paying with cash, you're paying en efectivo.
Una pregunta: ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta de crédito o sólo en efectivo?
One question: Can I pay with a credit card or just in cash?
Caption 41, Cleer y Lida Conversación telefónica - Part 2
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Most stores accept credit and debit cards, which are collectively called tarjetas.
La tarjeta de crédito en sí misma no es mala;
The credit card in itself is not bad;
Caption 8, Cuentas claras Sobreviviendo enero - Part 3
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Always keep your receipt, or el recibo, in case you need to return something.
Pasa un chiflón y se me lleva la, la lotería, se me lleva el recibo.
A gust of wind passes by and takes the, the lottery ticket from me, it takes the receipt from me.
Captions 30-31, Confidencial: Broma pesada Capítulo 2 - Part 14
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Everyone loves a discount! Look for signs that say descuento or rebaja.
Es muy importante que consigamos el descuento.
It's very important that we get the discount.
Caption 50, Negocios Problemas laborales - Part 1
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Especially popular in Spain, las rebajas are seasonal sales events.
no hay aglomeraciones de gente en las tiendas, en las rebajas.
there are no crowds of people in the stores, at the sales.
Captions 40-41, Soledad Vacaciones de verano
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Here are some common phrases you'll hear or use while shopping:
When something is discounted, it's en oferta.
Ese atún me va a costar uno veinticinco porque está en oferta.
That tuna is going to cost me one twenty-five because it's on sale.
Caption 37, María Fernanda Economía durante el COVID-19
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Use this when trying on clothes to indicate if something fits properly.
¿Me queda bien? Sí, ¿no? -Guapo, guapo, muy bien se ve.
Does it look good on me? It does, right? -Handsome, handsome, it looks very good.
Caption 52, 75 minutos Gangas para ricos - Part 6
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If the price is too high, you can say Es muy caro.
¡Es muy caro!
It's very expensive!
Caption 87, Extr@: Extra en español Ep. 2: Sam va de compras - Part 6
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When you find a great deal, it's una ganga!
Una ganga es un objeto que lo venden regalado. Bueno, regalado no, pero que es muy barato.
A bargain is an object that's sold as a giveaway. Well, maybe not a giveaway, but it's very cheap.
Captions 59-60, Con Marta por Madrid El Rastro
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Always good to confirm before you start shopping!
¿Aceptan tarjeta?
Do you accept cards?
Caption 62, Natalia de Ecuador Ordenar en un restaurante
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Let's put this vocabulary into context with some practical examples you might encounter:
¿Tiene esta camisa en talla mediana?
Do you have this shirt in size medium?
¿Cuánto cuestan estos zapatos?
How much do these shoes cost?
¿Dónde están las frutas y verduras?
Where are the fruits and vegetables?
¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta?
Can I pay with a card?
Necesito devolver esto, por favor.
I need to return this, please.
Congratulations! You now have the essential vocabulary and phrases to navigate shopping in Spanish with confidence. From asking for prices to finding the right size, these words and expressions will help you shop like a local in any Spanish-speaking country. Practice using these terms during your next shopping trip, and remember that every purchase is an opportunity to improve your Spanish!
What shopping experiences have you had in Spanish-speaking countries? Share your stories with us, and don't forget to send us your questions and suggestions!
How do you say "how much" in Spanish? In this lesson, you will learn to say "how much" in Spanish in both questions and statements as well to formulate some more specific "how much" questions and answers that you might be eager to learn!
The simplest answer to this question is that, while there may be additional ways of saying "how much" in Spanish in particular contexts, the word cuánto is the most common way to say "how much" in Spanish and the one we will focus on today. Let's take a look at this word in action:
Ay, papá, para que se dé cuenta cuánto
Oh, dude, so that you realize how much
vamos a ganar con este negocio;
we are going to earn with this business;
Caption 11, Tu Voz Estéreo - Laura
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While, in the example above, the word cuánto functions as a adverb meaning "how much" in Spanish, the word cuánto can also act as an adjective. In such cases, it will need to agree with the noun it modifies in terms of number and gender. Let's take a look at some examples of the word cuánto in its singular/plural and masculine/feminine forms:
Quiero, quiero, quiero ver cuánto amor a ti te cabe
I want, I want, I want to see how much love fits in you
Caption 40, Luis Fonsi ft. Daddy Yankee - Despacito
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Escúchame, ¿cuántos frigoríficos necesitáis?
Listen to me, how many refrigerators do you guys need?
Caption 46, 75 minutos - Del campo a la mesa - Part 2
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¿Cuánta harina le agrego?
How much flour shall I add to it?
Caption 72, Ricardo - La compañera de casa
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¿Cuántas palabras sabes en español?
How many words do you know in Spanish?
Caption 1, El Aula Azul - Adivina qué es
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Now that you know how to say "how much" in Spanish, let's look at some of the most searched-for English phrases including the words "how much" that many people want to learn how to say in Spanish:
As one of the most common things one might associate with the words "how much" is money. You might be curious about how to say "how much money" in Spanish, which is simple: Add the singular masculine form of the adjective cuánto to the word for money, dinero, which is masculine and singular as well:
¿Cuánto dinero se puede sacar? Perras.
How much money can one get? Coins [colloquial].
Caption 48, 75 minutos - Del campo a la mesa - Part 5
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Now that we're talking about money, the abilty to ask the question, "How much does it cost?" in Spanish might come in extremely handy when traveling to a Spanish-speaking country. So, how do you say "How much does it cost?" in Spanish?
As it turns out, there are a number of ways to say "How much does it cost?" in Spanish. Most literally, as the verb costar means "to cost" in Spanish, "¿Cuánto cuesta?" and "¿Cuánto cuestan?" mean "How much does it cost?" or "How much do they cost?" respectively, with the verb conjugated in the third person singular or plural depending upon whether what is being asked about is singular or plural. In these cases, the word cuánto functions as an adverb meaning "how much" in Spanish and is thus always masculine and singular.
¿Cuánto cuesta esta billetera?
How much does this wallet cost?
¿Cuánto cuesta esta cartera?
How much does this purse cost?
Captions 32-33, Ana Carolina - Salir de compras
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¿Y cuánto cuestan las lecciones?
And how much do the lessons cost?
Caption 21, Costa Azul Surf Shop - Hablando con los Empleados Del Surf
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¿Cuánto vale este coche?
How much does this car cost?
Este coche vale nuevo treinta y seis mil euros.
This car costs new thirty-six thousand euros.
Captions 60-61, 75 minutos - Gangas para ricos - Part 18
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¿A cuánto sale más o menos el botecito?
How much does the little jar cost, more or less?
Caption 29, 75 minutos - Del campo a la mesa - Part 6
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¿Cuánto era, dos zoquitos? Eh. -No sé si...
How much was it, two zoquitos? Yeah. -I don't know if...
Caption 26, 75 minutos - Gangas para ricos - Part 5
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To continue on our money theme, you might need to ask a waiter, for example, "How much do I owe you?" in Spanish. The Spanish verb for "to owe" is deber, as illustrated in the following sentence:
si debés más, pues, multiplicado,
if you owe more, well, multiplied,
te daría una deuda mucho mayor.
it would give you a much bigger debt.
Caption 47, Cuentas claras - Sobreviviendo enero
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Even though this might be an unpopular question in some circles, many people are curious to know how to say "How much do you weigh?" in Spanish. Since the verb pesar means "to weigh," it can be paired with cuánto to ask about a person's weight as follows:
¿La madre, cuánto puede pesar, Jesús?
The mother, how much can she weigh, Jesus?
Caption 81, Animales en familia - Un día en Bioparc: Cachorro de leopardo
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Although our focus today has been how to translate English questions with "how much" into Spanish using the word cuánto and its variants, we should take a moment to mention that two of the most common Spanish questions that employ this word are not literally translated as "how much" or "how" many" in English. Let's take a look:
You have probably heard the very common Spanish questions: "¿Cuántos años tienes?" or "¿Cuántos años tiene?"
¿Tú cuántos años tienes, Mariano?
How old are you, Mariano?
Yo, treinta y cinco. -¿Estás casado, tienes niños?
Me, thirty-five. -Are you married; do you have kids?
Captions 69-70, 75 minutos - Del campo a la mesa - Part 6
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Although the Spanish phrase "cuánto tiempo" literally means "how much time," this is most commonly expressed in English as "how long."
Para ese momento ¿ustedes cuánto tiempo llevaban de novios?
At that time, how long had you been girlfriend and boyfriend?
Caption 27, Tu Voz Estéreo - Feliz Navidad
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¿Tu marido trabaja
Your husband works
de domingo a domingo. ¿Cuánto? -Demasiado trabaja.
from Sunday to Sunday. How much? -He works too much.
Captions 29-30, 75 minutos - Del campo a la mesa - Part 19
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Bueno, sé un poquito pero no mucho.
Well, I know a little bit but not much.
Caption 3, Arume - La Vida Escolar
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To wrap up today's lesson on "how much" in Spanish, allow us to ask: ¿Cuánto aprendiste? (How much did you learn?). We hope that the answer is "very much" and look forward to your suggestions and comments.
In the first part of this lesson, we focused on the difference in perception in English versus Spanish when it comes to expressing the concept of "liking." Although in English, the subject of a sentence (the person, place, thing, or idea who performs the action of the sentence's verb) is perceived to "perform the action" of "liking" onto the object of the sentence (the receiver of the action, or "what is being liked"), in Spanish, the opposite is true. Let's review this concept with a simple example:
Me gustan mucho las ciudades.
I really like cities.
Caption 58, Carlos y Cyndy - Uso del Voseo en Argentina
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In English, "I" is the subject and "cities" is the object because "I" am the person who performs the action of liking upon "cities." In Spanish, on the other hand, las ciudades (the cities) are the subject that are thought to "cause" the implied object "yo" (I) to like them. As this functions similarly to the English verb "to please," it is useful to keep in mind the alternative translation "Cities really please me" when thinking about this and other sentences with gustar.
Armed with this information, let's explore how to create and understand Spanish sentences with this verb. First off, how do we express in Spanish the English concept of who or what is "doing the liking"? In other words, how would one say, "I like" or "you like" or "they like," etc.? In order to do this, Spanish employs the following indirect object pronouns with the verb gustar as follows:
-(A mí) me gusta/n: I like.
-(A ti) te gusta/n: You like.
-(A él/ella/usted) le gusta/n: He/She/You like(s).
-(A nosotros/as) nos gusta/n: We like.
-(A vosotros/as) os gusta/n: You (all) like.
-(A ellos/ellas/ustedes) les gusta/n: They like/You (all) like.
Let's take a look at some examples:
Y aquí tengo una blusa que me gusta.
And I have here a blouse that I like.
Caption 6, Ana Carolina - Salir de compras
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Muy bien, ¿te gusta esa música?
Great, do you like that music?
Caption 63, Carlos y Cyndy - Comentario sobre Muñeca Brava
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A nosotras nos gustan los colores del arcoíris.
We like the colors of the rainbow.
Caption 10, Español para principiantes - Los colores
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Note that, while in the third example, A nosotras was included before nos gustan, this is completely optional, and we could have written simply, Nos gustan los colores del arcoíris (We like the colors of the rainbow) to mean exactly the same thing. In fact, all such "a phrases" (a mí, a ti, a vosotros, etc.) indicated in parentheses above serve to add emphasis but do not change the meaning of sentences with gustar.
Now that we have learned how to indicate or know who or what is "doing the liking," let's focus on how to conjugate the verb gustar, which we will do in accordance with "what is being liked." Let's revisit the previous examples, as well as their alternative translations, to better understand this:
Y aquí tengo una blusa que me gusta.
And I have here a blouse that I like.
ALTERNATIVE TRANSLATION: And I have here a blouse that pleases me
Muy bien, ¿te gusta esa música?
Great, do you like that music?
ALTERNATIVE TRANSLATION: Great, and does that music please you?
A nosotras nos gustan los colores del arcoíris.
We like the colors of the rainbow.
ALTERNATIVE TRANSLATION: The colors of the rainbow please us.
Notice that, since "what is being liked" is the subject that performs the action in Spanish, in the aforementioned examples, we see gustar conjugated in the third person singular (gusta) in the cases where the subject is singular (esa músical"that music" and una blusa/"a blouse") and third person plural (gustan) in the cases where the subject is plural (los colores del arcoíris/"the colors of the rainbow"). Similarly, the verb "to please" is conjugated in accordance with said subjects in English.
What if, on the other hand, "what's liked" comes in the form of a verb's infinitive? In that case, the third person singular form of gustar should be utilized:
Y... aparte de... de la música, me gusta patinar.
And... apart from... from music, I like to skate.
Caption 14, Zoraida - Lo que gusta hacer
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While in all of the aforementioned examples, the verb gustar has been conjugated in either third person singular or plural, there are cases in which the subject calls for a diffrent conjugation. Let's take a look:
Me gustas.
I like you.
Porque sí.
Just because.
-Tú también me gustas mucho.
-I like you a lot too.
Captions 44-46, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa - Capítulo 4
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ALTERNATIVE TRANSLATION: You please me. Just because. -You please me too.
Since the subject "being liked" is tú (you), gustar is conjugated in the second person singular: gustas, and the alternative translation "You please me" can again help us to grasp this construction. Let's examine a couple of additional examples:
A este chico le gusto mucho.
That guy likes me a lot.
ALTERNATIVE TRANSLATION: I please that guy a lot.
A ustedes les gustamos mucho.
You guys like us a lot.
ALTERNATIVE TRANSLATION: We please you guys a lot.
As always, the verb gustar is conjugated in agreement with the Spanish sentences' subjects: yo/"I" (in the first person singular gusto) and nosotros/"we" (in the first person plural gustamos).
Let's conclude with one final example:
Y la directora de la biblioteca me dijo
And the director of the library told me
que el texto había gustado mucho.
that [people] had liked the text a lot.
Captions 48-49, Aprendiendo con Carlos - El microrrelato
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ALTERNATIVE TRANSLATION: and the director of the library told me that the text had pleased [people] a lot.
Once again, gustar has been conjugated in the third person singular as había gustado (this time in the past perfect) in agreement with what is being liked: el texto (the text). However, the absence of an indirect object pronoun to specify who or what is "doing the liking" gives us the essence that the text is generally pleasing, in other words: people liked it.
We hope that these lessons have helped to shed some light on how to use/understand the verb gustar, which might initially seem daunting to English speakers. That's all for today, and don't forget to leave us your comments and suggestions.
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