How do I know when to use "A mi me"?
In my spanish class we are doing gustar, interesar, fascinar, etc. Sometimes we say "A mi me" before gustar and the other words but sometimes not. How do I know when to say "A mi me gusta....." and when do I say "Me gusta"?
3 Answers
A mí me gusta ... and Me gusta ... actually both mean the same thing. We add the "A mí" to emphasize that it applies to myself, even though that is clear in the rest of the phrase. It's like saying:
For me, I would like to have a sandwich.
The "for me" doesn't really add anything or change the meaning of the sentence. It just adds a little emphasis.
Hope this helps.
Calvo
All us "Anglos" have trouble with gustar Manda. You're not alone.
Personal pronouns are rarely used in Spanish, as you already know. For example...
Voy a hacerlo - (I'm going to do it) Creo que..... - (I think that.....) Hablo inglés - (I speak English)
We don't say "YO voy a hacerlo, YO creo que, YO hablo" unless we want to emphasize that
"I am going to do it "
"I think that"
"I speak English"
The verb INCLUDES the "I" so we don't need to say it. The same thing happens with "gustar" eg -
Me gusta el gato - Literally "To me - it is pleasing - the cat"
A mí me gusta el gato - Literally "To me - to me - it is pleasing - the cat" (this has more emphasis)
And don't forget that we don't say -
YO me gusta el gato "I - to me - it is pleasing - the cat"
I use "A mí me..." when I want to stress my point or my opinion. Think of it as saying... "I myself"....
For instance, if everyone is talking about what they like to eat, I might offer:
A mí me gusta el pan.
I myself, I like bread
or
As for me myself, I like bread
Use Gustar when something 'pleases you' or 'is pleasing to you'.
In my example, I'm actually stating that: As for me (bread is 'pleasing to me' = me gusta el pan)
I hope I'm not being "clear as mud". Perhaps someone else can better explain it! Hang in there...and Welcome to the Forum!
