Liking and loving: gustar, encantar, querer, amar

Explanation

These verbs sit on a scale of intensity and use the gustar grammar (the thing liked is the subject, the person an indirect object): me gusta el café, me gustan los gatos. Me gusta is 'I like'; me encanta is the step up, 'I love it' — and it is already at the top, so you never add mucho (*me encanta mucho is wrong).

With people the verbs shift meaning. Me gustas means 'I'm attracted to you', so telling a friend me gustas declares romantic interest, not friendship. Te quiero is the everyday 'I love you' across family, close friends, and partners; te amo is more intense and usually romantic or solemn.

For simply liking someone as a person, Spanish uses caer bien: me cae bien tu hermano ('I like your brother'), never me gusta (which would sound romantic). So: things → gustar/encantar; attraction → gustar; love → querer/amar; finding someone likeable → caer bien.

Examples

Related rules

• How gustar works: me gusta, me gustan
• Likes and dislikes: me gusta, me encanta, odio