How to Say 'I Like to Cook' and 'I Don't Like to Cook' in Spanish
Learn the Spanish verb gustar with the infinitive cocinar to talk about liking or not liking the activity of cooking, with Latin American examples and pronunciation.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
To talk about liking an activity in Spanish, you do not use a verb that means 'to like' the way English does. Instead you use the verb gustar, which literally works like 'cooking is pleasing to me.' In this lesson you will learn to say 'I like to cook' and 'I don't like to cook' using gustar plus the infinitive cocinar. You will also learn the short words me, te, le, nos, les that show who is pleased, and the negative no, which goes right before gustar. All examples use broadly useful Latin American Spanish, with regional notes where they matter.
By the end, you can…
- say that I like or don't like to cook using me gusta and no me gusta.
- ask another person whether they like to cook using te gusta.
- use the infinitive cocinar after gustar without conjugating it.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Me gusta cocinar.
I like to cook.
meh GOOS-tah koh-see-NAR
The standard way to express this in Latin American Spanish. Use it when you enjoy the activity itself, not just the food.
No me gusta cocinar.
I don't like to cook.
noh meh GOOS-tah koh-see-NAR
Put no directly before me gusta. This is the normal negative form and is completely neutral, not rude.
¿Te gusta cocinar?
Do you like to cook?
teh GOOS-tah koh-see-NAR
Use te for one person you address informally. In Latin America this is common with friends, family and people your age.
Me gusta mucho cocinar.
I really like to cook.
meh GOOS-tah MOO-choh koh-see-NAR
Mucho adds intensity. Place it after gusta, not before it.
No me gusta mucho cocinar.
I don't like to cook very much.
noh meh GOOS-tah MOO-choh koh-see-NAR
This softens the negative. It means you dislike it somewhat, not that you hate it.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The pattern is (no) me gusta + infinitive. The word me means 'to me,' gusta means 'is pleasing,' and the infinitive names the activity: Me gusta cocinar. No me gusta cocinar. To talk about another person, change me: ¿Te gusta cocinar? means 'Do you like to cook?' and Le gusta cocinar means 'He or she likes to cook.' The infinitive cocinar never changes to cocino or cocinas in this pattern.
When to use it
Use me gusta cocinar when you are talking about the activity of cooking in general. If you want to talk about a specific food, the pattern changes slightly: Me gusta la comida mexicana means 'I like Mexican food.' Compare that with Me gusta cocinar, which is about the action. In Latin American Spanish, cocinar is understood everywhere, but some speakers also say hacer de comer for 'to make food' in everyday conversation, especially in Mexico.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
¿Te gusta cocinar?
Do you like to cook?teh GOOS-tah koh-see-NARSí, me gusta mucho cocinar.
Yes, I really like to cook.see, meh GOOS-tah MOO-choh koh-see-NAR¿Y a tu hermano?
And your brother?ee ah too er-MAH-nohA él no le gusta cocinar. Prefiere comer fuera.
He doesn't like to cook. He prefers to eat out.ah el noh leh GOOS-tah koh-see-NAR. preh-FYEH-reh koh-MER FWEH-rahA little context goes a long way
In Latin American Spanish, no me gusta cocinar is a plain statement of preference, not a criticism of anyone. If you are a guest and someone cooks for you, it is polite to compliment the food or the cook rather than to claim you like cooking; saying me gusta cocinar is a statement about your own habits, so it does not function as thanks. Regional note: in Mexico and parts of Central America, hacer de comer is a common everyday alternative to cocinar.
One thing to watch for
Saying Yo gusto cocinar to mean 'I like to cook.'
Try this instead: Gustar does not work like English 'like.' The correct form is Me gusta cocinar. The word me shows who is pleased, and cocinar stays in the infinitive. Yo gusto would mean something like 'I am pleasing,' which is not what you want.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'I don't like to cook' in Spanish?
Show a sample answer
No me gusta cocinar.
No goes before me gusta, and cocinar stays in the infinitive. You could also say No me gusta mucho cocinar if you want to soften it.
2A friend asks ¿Te gusta cocinar? How do you answer yes?
Show a sample answer
Sí, me gusta cocinar.
Change te to me because you are now talking about yourself. Adding mucho, as in Sí, me gusta mucho cocinar, is also correct.
3How would you say 'She likes to cook'?
Show a sample answer
Le gusta cocinar.
Use le for 'he' or 'she' in this pattern. If you want to be clear, you can add A ella le gusta cocinar. The infinitive cocinar does not change.
Remember the frame (no) me gusta + cocinar. The word me shows who likes it, and cocinar never changes form in this pattern.
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