Me gusta escribir en mi cuaderno antes de dormir.

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Breakdown of Me gusta escribir en mi cuaderno antes de dormir.

• gustar: to like
• en: in
• mi: my
• dormir: to sleep
• el cuaderno: the notebook
• escribir: to write
• antes de: before

Questions & Answers about Me gusta escribir en mi cuaderno antes de dormir.

Why do we say “Me gusta” instead of “Yo gusto”?

In Spanish, gustar literally means “to be pleasing”, so we say “Me gusta” to indicate that writing in the notebook is pleasing to the speaker. It’s not a reflexive verb; it’s just that Spanish uses this construction to express “I like” in a way that sounds like “It pleases me.”

Why is the infinitive “escribir” used directly after “Me gusta”?

After “gustar”, we typically use an infinitive if we want to say that we like doing an action. Instead of using a gerund or a conjugated form, Spanish grammar rules require the infinitive when expressing liking something (or enjoying an activity).

Does “en mi cuaderno” always mean “in my notebook,” or can it sometimes mean “on my notebook”?

Generally, “en mi cuaderno” means you’re writing inside the notebook. If you wanted to say “on” as in “on top of” the cover of the notebook, you’d likely use “sobre” instead.

Why is it “antes de dormir” and not “antes de que duermo”?

When expressing actions that happen before doing something, Spanish uses “antes de + infinitive”. You only use “antes de que + subjuntivo” when talking about another subject performing the action (for example, “antes de que él duerma”).

What if I want to say “I like to write in my notebook before going to sleep,” but I want to emphasize that I do it right before I go to bed?

You could add emphasis by specifying the time or moment more directly, for instance: “Me gusta escribir en mi cuaderno justo antes de irme a la cama.” The key is still using “antes de + infinitivo” construction to show the activity happens before the other action.