¿Te gusta beber agua?

Do you like to drink water?

Breakdown of ¿Te gusta beber agua?

• el agua: the water
• beber: to drink
• gustar: to like
• te: you

Questions & Answers about ¿Te gusta beber agua?

Why do we say te gusta instead of te gustas?

Because te gusta means it pleases you, which is how Spanish expresses you like something. Using te gustas would literally mean you like yourself, which isn’t the intended meaning here.

Why is the verb gusta in singular form when referring to an action (beber agua) or even a singular noun (agua)?

The verb gustar generally agrees with what is pleasing. In this sentence, what you like is the action beber agua (or the thing agua), which is treated as a singular entity. Hence, gusta (third-person singular) is used rather than gustan.

Could I say ¿Te gusta el agua? instead of ¿Te gusta beber agua??

Yes, you can. ¿Te gusta el agua? simply asks if you like water in general, whereas ¿Te gusta beber agua? stresses the activity of drinking water. Both are correct but convey slightly different nuances.

Is it common to use te for you in Spain, or should I use os in some situations?