Spanish A1 Speaking: Say What You Like and Do Not Like

Welcome to the world of Spanish! This guide focuses on getting you speaking right away. We’ll focus specifically on expressing what you like and dislike – a super useful skill in any language. Don’t worry about perfect grammar at this stage; we’re aiming for communication.

Getting Started: Useful Phrases

Here are some essential phrases you’ll hear a lot:

• Me gusta… (Meh goos-tah…) – I like…
• No me gusta… (No meh goos-tah…) – I don’t like…
• ¿Te gusta…? (Teh goos-tah?) – Do you like…? (informal)
• ¿A ti te gusta…? (Ah tee teh goos-tah?) – Do you like…? (informal, emphasizing ‘you’)
• Es muy bueno/a. (Ess moooy boo-ehnoh/ah.) – It’s very good. (masculine/feminine)
• Es muy malo/a. (Ess moooy mah-loh/ah.) – It’s very bad. (masculine/feminine)

Real-World Situations: Let’s Talk!

Example 1: Ordering Food

You’re in a restaurant with a friend, Miguel.

You: Hola Miguel! Me gusta la pizza. (Hello Miguel! I like the pizza.)

Miguel: ¿De verdad? (Really?) – Do you really?

You: Sí, sí. Es muy buena. (Yes, yes. It’s very good.)

Miguel: Yo no me gusta la pizza. No me gusta el pollo. (I don’t like pizza. I don’t like chicken.)

Example 2: Talking About Your Hobbies

You are talking to a new classmate, Sofía.

You: Hola Sofía! ¿Te gusta leer? (Hello Sofia! Do you like to read?)

Sofía: No, no me gusta leer. No me gusta el fútbol. (No, I don’t like reading. I don’t like football.)

You: ¡Qué raro! (How strange!) – What a strange thing!

Common Mistakes and Corrections

• Mistake: “Me gusta mucho” – This is often said, but “Me gusta” is perfectly correct and more natural for A1 learners.
• Correction: Stick with “Me gusta…” for now.
• Mistake: Forgetting the ‘a’ in ‘bueno/a’ and ‘malo/a’. – These adjectives change depending on what you’re describing (e.g., un libro bueno – a good book; una película buena – a good film).
• Correction: Remember to learn the masculine and feminine forms!

Vocabulary Boost

Here’s some extra vocabulary to expand your horizons:

• Comida (co-MEE-dah) – Food
• Restaurante (res-tow-RAHN-teh) – Restaurant
• Libro (LEE-broh) – Book
• Fútbol (FOOT-bol) – Football/Soccer
• Música (moo-SEE-kah) – Music

Practise saying these phrases and describing what you like and don’t like. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes – that’s how you learn! ¡Buena suerte! (Good luck!)