Giving Simple Opinions About Movies and Books in Spanish
Learn elementary Latin American Spanish phrases to say whether you liked a movie or book and give one simple reason, using me gustó, me pareció and porque.
By LiamCulture & nuance · Yapr Learn
When you finish a movie or a book, the most common thing you want to say is short and simple: you liked it, you didn't like it, or it was just okay, plus one reason. In Spanish, the key pattern is me gustó (I liked it) followed by porque (because) and a simple reason. This lesson gives you a small set of phrases you can reuse with almost any film or book, and it shows you how to avoid the most common beginner error with gustar.
By the end, you can…
- say whether I liked or didn't like a movie or book using me gustó and no me gustó.
- give one simple reason with porque and a basic adjective or phrase.
- ask another person what they thought of a movie or book.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Me gustó la película.
I liked the movie.
meh goos-TOH lah peh-LEE-koo-lah
Use gustó for one movie or one book. The literal meaning is 'the movie was pleasing to me,' so the movie is the subject.
No me gustó el libro.
I didn't like the book.
noh meh goos-TOH el LEE-broh
Put no directly before me. This is the normal, polite way to say you disliked something.
Me gustó porque fue muy divertida.
I liked it because it was very fun.
meh goos-TOH por-KEH fweh mwee dee-veer-TEE-dah
Divertida agrees with película, a feminine noun. For a book, say divertido.
Me pareció interesante.
I thought it was interesting.
meh pah-reh-SYOH een-teh-reh-SAHN-teh
Me pareció is a useful alternative to me gustó. It means 'it seemed to me' and works for both movies and books.
¿Qué te pareció?
What did you think of it?
keh teh pah-reh-SYOH
A natural question to ask someone after they watch or read something. It is neutral and common in Latin America.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The basic pattern is me gustó + porque + reason. For example: Me gustó la película porque fue muy interesante. To make it negative, add no before me: No me gustó el libro porque fue aburrido. With gustar, the thing you like is the grammatical subject, so you say me gustó for one movie or book and me gustaron for plural things like las películas. For a quick opinion, me pareció + adjective also works well: Me pareció buena.
When to use it
Use me gustó when you want to state your personal reaction clearly. Use me pareció when you want to sound a little softer or more like you are giving an impression: Me pareció un poco lenta. Use ¿Qué te pareció? to invite the other person's opinion. If you are talking about a book, remember that libro is masculine, so say Me gustó el libro and Me pareció interesante, with no gender change on interesante. Adjectives that end in -o, like aburrido, change to -a with feminine nouns: una película aburrida.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
¿Ya viste la película?
Did you already see the movie?yah VEE-steh lah peh-LEE-koo-lahSí, la vi anoche. Me gustó mucho.
Yes, I saw it last night. I liked it a lot.see lah vee ah-NOH-cheh meh goos-TOH MOO-choh¿Y qué te pareció el final?
And what did you think of the ending?ee keh teh pah-reh-SYOH el fee-NAHLMe pareció interesante, pero un poco triste.
I thought it was interesting, but a little sad.meh pah-reh-SYOH een-teh-reh-SAHN-teh PEH-roh oon POH-koh TREES-tehA little context goes a long way
In much of Latin America, a simple Me gustó or No me gustó is perfectly polite and common in conversation. Direct negative opinions are usually softened with a short reason or a phrase like un poco, as in Me pareció un poco lenta. In Spain, you will also hear me ha gustado for a recent experience, but Latin American Spanish generally prefers me gustó in this context.
One thing to watch for
Saying Yo gusté la película to mean 'I liked the movie.'
Try this instead: Gustar does not work like the English verb 'to like.' Say Me gustó la película. The movie is the subject, and me shows who is pleased. For a negative opinion, say No me gustó la película.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'I liked the book because it was interesting' in Spanish?
Show a sample answer
Me gustó el libro porque fue interesante.
This uses me gustó for one book, el libro for the masculine noun, and porque fue interesante for the reason. You could also say Me gustó el libro porque era interesante; both are understandable.
2A friend asks ¿Qué te pareció la película? Give a negative opinion with one reason.
Show a sample answer
No me gustó porque fue aburrida.
No me gustó states the negative opinion, and porque fue aburrida gives a reason. Aburrida agrees with the feminine noun película. You could also say Me pareció aburrida.
3Which phrase would you use to ask someone what they thought of a book?
Show a sample answer
¿Qué te pareció el libro?
¿Qué te pareció? is a natural, neutral way to ask for someone's impression. You can use it with el libro, la película, or other singular nouns.
For simple opinions about movies and books, remember me gustó or no me gustó plus porque and one reason, and use me pareció when you want to say what you thought of it.
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