Quick question:
What was your favorite food when you were a child?
Maybe ice cream? Burgers? Fries?
Mine was cake.
I know, that’s not real food, but we are talking about children, and children love junk food.
Whenever I had the chance to eat cake, I took it.
I remember in the mornings, when I was walking to school, I used to walk five extra blocks, just to go to this bakery and buy something they called “migas”.
It was a bag full of “leftovers” from different cakes. They used to sell slices of cake, and when they cut them, some pieces were left over, and they sold them.
Those “migas,” which in English would be “crumbs,” or “breadcrumbs”, were delicious.
I used to go with my brother and a cousin, and we spent our lunch money there.
We were a bit hungry at lunch time at school, but it was worth it.
On the other hand when I was a child, I hated something we Ecuadorians call “sopa de menudencia.” It’s basically chicken soup, but instead of the actual chicken, it has only the organs of the chicken in it.”
Can you Imagine it?
My mom used to say we needed it because of the nutrients, but I think she only made that soup because she liked it.
Ok. The soup was fine. But the organs… I couldn’t eat them.
I remember, before lunch, I would put a napkin in my pocket, and when my mom wasn’t paying attention, I put the chicken organs (the “menudencia”) in the napkin, and the napkin back in my pocket.
We didn’t have a dog or a cat, so I used to throw that napkin in the trash, at the bottom of the trash can, so my mom couldn’t see what I did.
And yes, I know, throwing food away is wrong, but in my defense, I didn’t like that soup, and I was just a child.
But why am I telling you all this?
Because I want to teach you:
How to express likes and dislikes in Spanish.
Are you ready?
When you like something, you can use the verb “gustar.”
So, if you want to say “I like cake,” the Spanish phrase is “Me gusta el pastel.”
Or if you want to say “I like burgers,” the Spanish phrase is “Me gustan las hamburguesas.”
By the way, if you paid attention, you must have noticed something:
When you talk about something plural, like burgers, in the previous example, you have to add the letter N after the verb.
Check the transcription on my website if you want to see it more clearly.
And when you want to say that you don’t like something, you just need to add the word no.
For example, for “I don’t like chicken soup,” the Spanish phrase is “no me gusta la sopa de pollo.”
Or if you want to say “I don’t like salad,” the Spanish phrase is “no me gusta la ensalada.”
Easy, right?
But that was just an example. You should eat salad.
But sometimes, saying “I like” and “I don’t like something” is not enough.
Sometimes we love something, or we hate something.
How can you say that in Spanish?
When you really like something, let’s say pizza, for “I love pizza,” the Spanish phrase is “Me encanta la pizza.”
And if you hate something, let’s say pizza with pineapple, for “I hate pizza with pineapple,” the Spanish phrase is “odio la pizza con piña.”
It’s just an example. I love that pizza.
Ok. Now you know how to express likes and dislikes in Spanish.
Of course, you need to practice. If you have Spanish speaking friends, that will be easy, but if you don’t, well, maybe it’s time to make some new friends. It will be fun, I promise.
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