Spanish · CEFR Band 1 (A1) · Chapter 27
El tiempo libreFree time
Leisure vocabulary: el tiempo libre (free time), el deporte (sport), el fútbol (football), la música (music), la película (film), leer (to read), bailar (to dance), nadar (to swim), viajar (to travel), gustar (to like). Key grammar: the verb "gustar" works BACKWARDS. The thing liked is the subject, and the person is a pronoun (me/te/le): "Me gusta el fútbol" (= football pleases me). With a plural, "gustan": "Me gustan los deportes". With a verb, always singular: "Me gusta leer". English speakers calque "I like" → "Yo gusto el fútbol" ✗ → "Me gusta el fútbol" ✓. Culture corner §3: free time in the Spanish-speaking world.
Dialogue
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Yo gusto / Me gusta
- Lucía¿Qué te gusta hacer en tu tiempo libre?What do you like to do in your free time?
- MikeYo gusto el fútbol.I like football. (slip: gustar is backwards — the person is a pronoun: "Me gusta el fútbol")
- LucíaEl fútbol te gusta a ti: "Me gusta el fútbol".Football pleases you: "Me gusta el fútbol".
- MikeAh, me gusta el fútbol y me gusta leer.Ah, I like football and I like reading.
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¿Qué te gusta?— What do you like?
- Carlos¿Te gusta la música?Do you like music?
- LucíaSí, me gusta mucho. Y me gustan las películas.Yes, I like it a lot. And I like films.
- Carlos¿Te gusta bailar?Do you like dancing?
- LucíaSí, pero no me gusta el fútbol. ¿Y a ti?Yes, but I don't like football. And you?
- CarlosA mí me gusta el fútbol y me gusta viajar.I like football and I like travelling.
Vocabulary
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- el tiempo libre
nounfree time
- el deporte
nounsport
- el fútbol
nounfootball, soccer
- la música
nounmusic
- la película
nounfilm, movie
- leer
verbto read
- bailar
verbto dance
- nadar
verbto swim
- viajar
verbto travel
- gustar
verbto like (me gusta)
Grammar
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The verb "gustar" (backwards)
Explanation
"Gustar" does not mean "to like" word for word: it means "to please". The thing liked is the SUBJECT; the person who likes it comes first, as a pronoun: me / te / le / nos / os / les. "Me gusta el fútbol" = "football pleases me". The verb agrees with the THING, not the person: one thing or a verb → "gusta" ("Me gusta la música", "Me gusta bailar"); several things → "gustan" ("Me gustan las películas", "Me gustan los deportes"). English speakers calque "I like" and add "yo" — "Yo gusto el fútbol" ✗ → "Me gusta el fútbol" ✓. To ask: "¿Te gusta viajar?" (do you like to travel?). To negate: "No me gusta nadar" (I don't like swimming).
Examples
- Me gusta el fútbol.I like football.
- ¿Te gusta bailar?Do you like dancing?
- Me gustan los deportes.I like sports.
- No me gusta nadar.I don't like swimming.
Culture
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El tiempo libre en el mundo hispanoFree time in the Spanish-speaking world
In the Spanish-speaking world, free time is above all time with people. The street, the square, the café terrace and the after-meal chat matter more than staying home. Knowing how people relax tells you a lot about the culture.
La sobremesa and tapas
After eating, nobody jumps up. The "sobremesa" is the time when people stay at the table talking, sometimes an hour or more, over a coffee. It is a social pleasure as important as the meal itself. And going "de tapas" — bar-hopping for small plates with friends — is a typical weekend plan. It is not about eating a lot, but about being together, standing, chatting and laughing.
Football and sport
Football is almost a religion. Many people support Real Madrid, Barça, Boca or River, and match-day Sunday brings families and friends together in front of the TV or in the stadium. But sport is not only watching: people play football in the park, go running, hit the gym or dance. In many Spanish-speaking countries, dancing — salsa, cumbia, flamenco — is also a kind of sport and social life.
The evening stroll and street life
As evening falls, many people go out "to take a stroll": walking unhurried through the centre or the square, greeting neighbours, having a drink on a terrace. Life happens in the street until late, and children play in the square while grandparents chat on a bench. The timetable is late: dinner is at nine or ten, and at the weekend young people go out at night. The rhythm is relaxed: there is time for people.
In short: in the Spanish-speaking world, free time is enjoyed with others. Linger over the sobremesa, go out for tapas, take a stroll around the square. When someone asks you "¿Te gusta salir?" (do you like going out?), you know they are inviting you to the best part of the culture.
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