Using ‘Gustar’ in Spanish With More than One Subject

Not all the rules of Spanish are straightforward or logical, and when it comes to the use of number-verb agreement with gustar, the rules aren't always followed. More generally, the rules of number agreement are applied inconsistently when more than one subject follows the main verb of a sentence.

Logic Applies Both Ways

For a simple example of a sentence where this issue comes up, look at this sentence with two singular subjects:

• Me gusta la hamburguesa y el queso. (I like hamburger and cheese.)

Or should it be this?:

• Me gustan la hamburguesa y el queso.

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Using the Spanish Verb ‘Gustar’

By Gerald Erichsen

You could defend either choice in a sentence like that. Using gustan would certainly seem logical, and it is indeed said that way sometimes. But it is far more common to use the singular, gusta. It's kind of like shortening "me gusta la hamburguesa y me gusta el queso" by leaving out the second "me gusta," just as in English we might shorten "the happy children and happy adults" to "the happy children and adults." Why say "me gusta" twice if once gets the message across?

The Academy Explains

According to the Royal Spanish Academy, the singular verb should be used in a sentence like this when the two things you're talking about are uncountable or abstract and they follow the verb (as is usually the case with gustar). Here's an example the Academy gives: Me gusta el mambo y el merengue. Note how the two subjects are uncountable (they are both types of music or dance). Here are some other sentences that follow this pattern:

• Es una red social de gente que le gusta el deporte y el ejercicio. (It's a social network of people who like sports and exercise.)
• Me encanta el manga y el anime. (I love manga and anime.)
• Me gusta la música y bailar. (I like music and dancing.)
• Al presidente le falta el coraje y la voluntad política para resolver los problemas de nuestro país. (The president lacks the courage and political will to resolve the problems of our country.)
• Si te gusta el cine y la tele, querrás pasar tiempo en California. (If you like movies and TV, you will want to spend time in California.)

But the Academy would pluralize the verb if the objects are countable. One of the Academy's examples: En el patio crecían un magnolio y una azalea. A magnolia and an azalea grew in the courtyard.

Other examples of the Academy's preference:

• A ella le encantan la casa y el parque. (She loves the house and the park.)
• Nos bastan el ratón y el teclado. (The mouse and the keyboard were enough for us.)
• Me gustan esa camisa y ese bolso. (I like that shirt and that purse.)

In real life, however, the singular verb (when it precedes two subjects) is used much more often than the Academy would suggest. In everyday speech, even when verbs such as gustar have two countable subjects, the singular verb is usually used. In the following examples, both sentences might be said by native speakers, but the first is more commonly heard even though the second one is grammatically preferable to the Academy:

• Me duele la cabeza y el estómago. Me duelen la cabeza y el estómago. (I have a headache and stomachache.)
• Me gusta mi cama y mi almohada. Me gustan mi cama y mi almohada. (I like my bed and my pillow.)
• A Raúl le gustaba el taco y el helado. A Raúl le gustaban el taco y el helado. (Raúl liked the taco and the ice cream.)

As to the original example, if by hamburguesa the speaker means ground beef and by queso the speaker means cheese in general, both of the subjects would be uncountable and the Academy would prefer use of the singular verb, gusta. But if by hamburguesa the speaker is referring to a type of sandwich or a specific sandwich, and by queso the speaker is referring to a type of cheese or a specific cheese, the subjects would be countable, and the Academy would prefer to use the plural, gustan. In real life, however, you're likely to not get flak regardless of which version you use.

Key Takeaways

• When gustar is followed by two or more singular subjects, native Spanish speakers frequently use the singular form of the verb.
• The Royal Spanish Academy approves use of the singular verb form when the subjects are abstract or uncountable.
• Other verbs such as doler and encantar can be used in the same way as gustar.