I like it, I am passionate about it, and I am fascinated by it./ 5 minutes of Spanish (English version) + Podcast

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Welcome to podcast 259. Thank you for being here. So... what are we going to talk about today?

February is almost over, and we're still talking about love. Today we're going to look at a very famous verb in Spanish: gustar.

It's a verb we use a lot, but it confuses everyone. We don't say “yo gusto el chocolate” (I like chocolate), but rather “me gusta el chocolate” (I like chocolate).

You like to eat, right?

Exacto. En inglés sería I like to eat, literalmente es “eating pleases me.

Me gustan sus ojos. I like his or her eyes.

¿Te gustan mis aretes nuevos? Do you like my new earrings?

Here you are in a problem, you should always say Yes, of course, dear, but without hesitation.
How exaggerated! That's a joke. Women like sincerity above all else.

Yes, dear, whatever you say. What if the feeling is stronger?

Entonces usamos fascinar. Me fascina su sonrisa. I’m fascinated by her/his smile.

 Me fascina viajar contigo. I love traveling with you.

And we can still turn up the intensity: get passionate

 Me apasiona la música. I’m passionate about music.

Me apasiona estar contigo. I’m passionate about being with you.

So, liking is mild, fascinating is more intense, and being passionate is total passion.

You can say, I am passionate about my work or I am passionate about a sport.

But let's go back to taste, a food can have a good flavor or taste.

When you meet someone, you say, “Mucho gusto,” which is like “nice to meet you.”

The opposite of “gusto” is “disgusto,” which is cognate with the English word “dislike.”

I dislike violent people, for example.

Yes, me too.

And a person with good taste, who is that?

Someone who knows how to combine colors, for example, or someone who dresses well.

María tiene buen gusto, se viste muy bien. Maria has good taste, she dresses very well.

Un refrán muy tradicional es: Sobre gustos no hay nada escrito, es decir a ti te puede gustar lo que quieras o quien quieras.

There's no accounting for taste; you can like whatever or whoever you want.

To like, to fascinate, to be passionate about—a good way to sum up the month of love.

And you? What do you like, what fascinates you, what are you passionate about?

We want to hear from you.

Contact us. Happy month of love.

Thank you for listening to this podcast until the end.

If you liked it, share it with a friend.

And if you were fascinated by it too.

See you soon.

Bye, bye.