Breakdown of Me gusta el dibujo de la niña.
de
from / of
la niña
the girl
gustar
to like
el dibujo
the drawing
Questions & Answers about Me gusta el dibujo de la niña.
How would I change this sentence to say "I like this drawing"?
You would replace el (the) with the demonstrative adjective este (this), making it Me gusta este dibujo de la niña. Because dibujo is a masculine, singular noun, we use este. Be careful not to use esto—that is only used for abstract ideas or when you don't actually name the object you are pointing at!
Why is it dibujo de la niña instead of la niña's dibujo?
Spanish doesn't use an apostrophe "s" ('s) to show ownership. Instead, you always use the formula "[object] + de + [owner]". Literally, you have to phrase it as "the drawing of the girl".
Why does the sentence use gusta instead of gusto if I am the one who likes it?
The verb gustar works a bit backwards compared to English. It literally translates to "to be pleasing to." So, Me gusta el dibujo actually means "The drawing is pleasing to me." Because the drawing (a singular item) is the thing doing the pleasing, we use the singular "it" form of the verb, which is gusta.
Could el dibujo de la niña mean a drawing of the girl, rather than a drawing she owns or made?
Yes, it absolutely can! Just like the English phrase "the drawing of the girl," it can mean a picture she drew herself, or a picture someone else drew depicting her. You have to rely on the context of the conversation to know which one is meant.