Spanish Phrase
¿Te gusta programar?
Meaning
The question asks whether the listener enjoys programming. It is a direct way to inquire about a hobby or professional interest, and it can be used in both casual and semi‑formal contexts.
When to use
Use this phrase when you want to know if a friend, classmate, or interviewee likes coding. It works well in informal chats, language‑exchange meet‑ups, or as an ice‑breaker in a tech‑focused interview.
✦Grammar Breakdown
¿Tegustaprogramar?
Indirect object pronoun (te)
‘Te’ is the second‑person singular indirect object pronoun, used with gustar to indicate who experiences the liking.
Verb gustar (gusta)
Gustar is conjugated in the third person because the thing that is liked (the infinitive) is the grammatical subject; ‘gusta’ is singular for a single activity.
Infinitive as subject
When an infinitive (programar) follows gustar, it functions as the subject, so the verb agrees with it (singular ‘gusta’).
🗨In Conversation
¿Te gusta programar?
Do you like to program?
Sí, me encanta. ¿Y a ti?
Yes, I love it. How about you?
✕Common Mistakes
¿Te gusta programo?
‘Programo’ is first‑person singular; after gustar you need the infinitive or a noun, not a conjugated verb.
¿Te gustas programar?
‘Gustas’ would mean ‘you are liked’; the correct form is ‘gusta’ because the subject is the activity.
¿Te gusta programar, señor?
In formal contexts you should use ‘le’ instead of ‘te’. Using ‘te’ with strangers can sound overly familiar.
↔Alternatives
¿Disfrutas programar?
Do you enjoy programming?
¿Te agrada programar?
Do you like programming?
¿Te gusta la programación?
Do you like programming (the activity)?
Cultural Tip
In Spanish‑speaking countries, gustar‑type constructions are the norm for expressing likes and dislikes. Remember that the verb always agrees with the thing liked, not with the person. In formal settings you might replace ‘¿Te gusta…?’ with ‘¿Le gusta programar?’ using the formal ‘le’. Also, many tech‑savvy youths will simply say ‘¿Programas?’ (Do you code?) as a more colloquial shortcut.