Learn Hardcore Spanish (Spain): ¿Te gusta cocinar?

In Spanish, gustar is used in a way that essentially means “to be pleasing to someone.” Te (to you) is the indirect object pronoun, and gusta is the third-person singular form of the verb (meaning “it pleases”). So literally, Te gusta cocinar means “Cooking is pleasing to you.” Using Tú gustas cocinar would sound unnatural in Spanish and would suggest “You please cooking,” which doesn’t make sense.

Why is cocinar in the infinitive form?

After gustar, when talking about liking an activity, you typically use the infinitive form of the verb. In Spanish, gustar + [infinitive] indicates liking the action as a general concept. Hence, cocinar (to cook) remains in its basic form rather than conjugating it (e.g., cocinas or cocino).

Why do we add an upside-down question mark at the beginning of the sentence?

In Spanish, a question is punctuated with ¿ at the start and ? at the end. This notation helps readers identify questions from the outset and makes the sentence’s intent clearer. It’s simply a convention of the Spanish language.

Is there a difference between Te gusta cocinar and Te gusta comer?