Me gusta dedicar atención a mi familia.

I like to dedicate attention to my family.

Breakdown of Me gusta dedicar atención a mi familia.

• yo: I
• mi: my
• la familia: the family
• gustar: to like
• a: to
• dedicar: to dedicate
• la atención: the attention

Questions & Answers about Me gusta dedicar atención a mi familia.

Why do we say Me gusta instead of Yo gusto?

In Spanish, gustar is structured differently than the English verb “to like.” Literally, Me gusta means “It pleases me.” The indirect object me (meaning “to me”) comes before the verb gusta, which agrees with the thing that is pleasing. So you wouldn't say Yo gusto dedicar atención, because that would literally mean “I please to dedicate attention,” which is not correct in Spanish.

What does dedicar atención mean, and why not use prestar atención?

Both dedicar atención and prestar atención convey the idea of paying attention or devoting attention to someone or something. However, dedicar atención often carries a sense of dedicating time or effort more personally toward a person or activity, whereas prestar atención can sometimes feel more like “paying attention” in a more immediate or momentary sense. In the sentence Me gusta dedicar atención a mi familia, it emphasizes the personal choice and the ongoing, sustained nature of the attention given to one’s family.

Why do we need a before mi familia?

In Spanish, when the direct or indirect object is a person (or a group of people), you typically use the personal a. The phrase a mi familia shows that your family is the object receiving the attention. If it were a thing instead of a person or group of people, you might not use a in the same way. For example, you could say Me gusta dedicar tiempo a mi trabajo (still using a, because it is referencing devoting time to work, but it’s not the personal a in the same sense as for people; it indicates direction or destination).

Why is it Me gusta dedicar atención and not Me gusta dedicar atención followed by an article like la?

In Spanish, when referring to an abstract or general concept like atención, you typically don’t need to use an article. If you were talking about a more specific type of attention or a specific instance of attention, you could potentially clarify that with an article or additional words, but in this general sense—“to dedicate attention”—Spanish omits the article.

Is the sentence still correct if I swap the order to Dedicar atención a mi familia me gusta?

Yes, you might still be understood, but Spanish speakers almost always place Me gusta at the beginning because it sounds more natural. In spoken Spanish, Me gusta dedicar atención a mi familia is far more common. While word order can be flexible, you’ll retain clearer emphasis by using the typical Me gusta + infinitive structure.