Me gusta cocinar en mi casa, sobre todo con mi familia.

I like to cook at my house, especially with my family.

Breakdown of Me gusta cocinar en mi casa, sobre todo con mi familia.

• la familia: the family
• yo: I
• la casa: the house
• en: at
• gustar: to like
• cocinar: to cook
• mi: my
• con: with
• ,: comma
• sobre todo: especially

Questions & Answers about Me gusta cocinar en mi casa, sobre todo con mi familia.

What is the structure of the sentence "Me gusta cocinar en mi casa, sobre todo con mi familia." and how does it differ from the typical English word order?

In Spanish, the sentence is built around the idea that what is pleasing (i.e., the activity "cocinar en mi casa") is treated as the subject, while the person who experiences that pleasure is indicated by the indirect object pronoun "me." Literally, it translates to “Cooking at my house pleases me, especially with my family.” In contrast, English typically uses the structure “I like cooking at my house, especially with my family,” where the subject ("I") comes first. This inversion is common with verbs like "gustar" in Spanish.

Why do we use "me gusta" instead of something like "yo gusto" when expressing likes?

In Spanish, the verb "gustar" works differently than the English verb "to like." The construction is such that the thing being liked becomes the subject of the sentence. "Me" is an indirect object pronoun meaning "to me," so "me gusta" literally states that “cooking pleases me.” Saying "yo gusto" would incorrectly place emphasis on the person as doing the liking rather than being pleased by something, which is not how "gustar" functions.

What does the phrase "sobre todo" mean, and what role does it play in this sentence?

"Sobre todo" means "especially" or "above all." In the sentence, it emphasizes that the most enjoyable part of cooking at home is doing it with the family. It adds extra nuance by highlighting that while the speaker enjoys cooking at home generally, the family element enhances this activity in a significant way.

How do the prepositions "en" and "con" function in this sentence?

The preposition "en" in "en mi casa" specifies the location where the activity takes place ("at my house"). The preposition "con" in "con mi familia" indicates accompaniment, showing that the speaker enjoys cooking when accompanied by their family ("with my family"). These prepositions help provide clear contextual details about the setting and the company during the activity.

Why is the infinitive "cocinar" used after "me gusta"?

In Spanish, when expressing likes or preferences with the verb "gustar," it is common to use an infinitive to indicate the activity that is pleasing. In this sentence, "cocinar" (to cook) acts as the subject, meaning it's the activity that brings pleasure. Thus, "Me gusta cocinar" effectively means “I like to cook,” using the infinitive to clearly identify the action.

Why is there no article before "mi casa" in the sentence?

Spanish uses possessive adjectives like "mi" to directly modify a noun without an accompanying article when referring to personal belongings or familiar settings. So, "mi casa" correctly translates to "my house." This is a standard construction in Spanish, and adding a definite article (as in "la mi casa") would be grammatically incorrect.