Log inSign up

Al niño le gusta dibujar en el papel.

Al niño le gusta dibujar en el papel.
The boy likes to draw on the paper.
From Lesson 47:Expressing likes (me gusta)·Spanish (Latin America)

Questions & Answers about Al niño le gusta dibujar en el papel.

Why is it al niño and not just el niño?
In Spanish, the verb gustar actually means "to be pleasing to." So, this sentence literally means "To the boy, drawing on the paper is pleasing." The word al is a mandatory contraction of a (to) and el (the). You must use a before the person who is doing the liking.
If al niño already means "to the boy," why do we also need le?
Spanish has a quirky rule: when you use a verb like gustar, you must include the indirect object pronoun (le, meaning "to him" or "to her"), even if you just named the person! Adding al niño at the start just clarifies exactly who le is referring to.
Why is it gusta instead of gustan?
The verb gustar matches what is being liked, not the person who likes it. When you like doing an action—which is represented by an infinitive verb like dibujar (to draw)—you always use the singular form gusta.
Does en mean "in" or "on"?
It means both! The Spanish word en is a very handy preposition that can mean "in," "on," or "at" depending on the context. Since you draw "on" paper in English, en el papel translates perfectly to "on the paper" here.

Learn Al niño le gusta dibujar en el papel and more in Spanish

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free
Start learning Spanish →