Breakdown of Me gusta batir la leche con un poco de azúcar.
yo
I
un
a
gustar
to like
con
with
de
of
el poco
the bit
la leche
the milk
el azúcar
the sugar
batir
to whisk
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Spanish grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Me gusta batir la leche con un poco de azúcar.
Why is it Me gusta and not Yo gusto?
Spanish uses gustar in a reverse way to English. Literally it means “to please,” so the thing/action is the subject and the experiencer is an indirect object: Me gusta = “It pleases me.” Yo gusto would mean “I please (others),” which is not how you say “I like” in Spanish.
Why is it gusta (singular) and not gustan?
Because the subject is the whole action batir la leche con un poco de azúcar, which is a single idea. Use gustan only when the subject is plural nouns: e.g., Me gustan los batidos. With one or more infinitives, you normally keep it singular: Me gusta cantar y bailar.
What does the me do in Me gusta?
Me is an indirect object pronoun meaning “to/for me.” You change it for other people: te gusta (to you), le gusta (to him/her/usted), nos gusta, os gusta, les gusta. You can add emphasis with a prepositional phrase: A mí me gusta…, A ella le gusta….
Can I say Me gusta de batir or Me gusta a batir?
No. After gustar, when you like doing something, you use a bare infinitive: Me gusta batir… (no preposition). Use Me gusta que + subjunctive when someone else does the action: Me gusta que batas la leche… (“I like you to beat the milk…”).
Is batir the right verb here? What about remover, mezclar, montar, or licuar?
- Batir = to beat/whisk/blend vigorously (with a whisk, mixer, or blender). Fine if you mean whisking/blending milk.
- Remover/revolver = to stir (e.g., with a spoon). Use this if you’re just dissolving sugar: Me gusta remover la leche con azúcar.
- Montar = to whip until it thickens (e.g., montar la nata, montar las claras). Not used with plain milk.
- Licuar (more in Latin America) ≈ to blend in a licuadora. In Spain, the appliance is usually batidora, and the verb is still batir.
Does batir la leche sound natural in Spain?
Yes if you’re actually whisking/blending or frothing it (e.g., for a milkshake or coffee foam). If you only mean “stirring in some sugar,” Spaniards would more commonly say remover/revolver rather than batir.
Why is it la leche and not just leche?
Spanish often uses the definite article with mass nouns as direct objects, even when speaking generally: batir la leche. Saying batir leche is possible but less common; you’re more likely to see the article with actions on mass nouns, while verbs like beber leche (drink milk) often omit it.
Why is there no article before azúcar in un poco de azúcar?
Because un poco de already expresses an indefinite quantity. If you mean “a bit of the sugar (we mentioned),” you’d say un poco del azúcar. You can also just say con azúcar (“with sugar”) if you don’t want to emphasize the small amount.
Is azúcar masculine or feminine?
Both exist, but it’s most commonly masculine in the singular: el azúcar. With adjectives, you’ll see either agreement: el azúcar blanco or el azúcar blanca (both accepted). In your sentence there’s no article because of un poco de.
How do you spell and pronounce azúcar in Spain?
Spell it with an accent: azúcar (stress on -zú-). In most of Spain, z is pronounced like English “th” in “thin”: a-THÚ-car.
Can I move the phrase around? For example, Con un poco de azúcar me gusta batir la leche?
Yes, Spanish word order is flexible for emphasis. The neutral, most common order is your original, but Con un poco de azúcar me gusta batir la leche is acceptable and emphasizes the condition “with a bit of sugar.”
Can I use a pronoun: Me gusta batirla?
Yes, if la refers to previously known leche and you don’t repeat the noun: Me gusta batirla con un poco de azúcar. Don’t say Me la gusta batir—with gustar you don’t clitic-double a non-person direct object like that.
Can I say Me gusta batiendo la leche?
Not for general likes. Use the infinitive: Me gusta batir la leche. A gerund might appear in specific progressive contexts (e.g., describing what’s happening right now), but not to express a general preference.
How do I say I don’t like it, or ask someone if they like it?
- Negative: No me gusta batir la leche con un poco de azúcar.
- Question (tú): ¿Te gusta batir la leche con un poco de azúcar? The verb stays singular because the subject is the action.
What if I mean I like the drink (milk with sugar), not the action of beating it?
Say: Me gusta la leche con un poco de azúcar (I like milk with a bit of sugar). Or, if you want to keep the action idea but with drinking: Me gusta tomar/beber la leche con un poco de azúcar.
How can I make it stronger or more polite?
- Stronger: Me encanta batir la leche… or Me gusta mucho batir la leche… (put mucho after the verb).
- More tentative/polite: Me gustaría batir la leche con un poco de azúcar.
Any Spain-specific alternatives or notes?
- Colloquial in Spain: Me mola batir la leche… (informal).
- Appliances: in Spain batidora (immersion: batidora de mano; jar blender: batidora de vaso). You still typically use batir for what a blender does.