gustar-type: doler, encantar, faltar
It hurts me / I love it
By Fabling Editorial · How we design our guides
Use doler, faltar, encantar, and importar to describe pain, missing things, and preferences with the same agreement pattern as gustar.
It hurts me / I love it
doler, encantar, faltar, quedar, importar work like gustar: the thing is the subject. Me duelen los pies. Le encanta el cine. Nos falta pan.
Examples in context
Read the examples and compare their English meanings.
Use it in a conversation
The thing that hurts, is missing, or matters controls the verb. Doler changes its stem in duele and duelen. Faltar can mean that something is needed or that a quantity remains.
Me duele la espalda, pero no me duelen las piernas.
My back hurts, but my legs do not hurt.
Nos faltan diez minutos para terminar.
We have ten minutes left before we finish.
A Julia le encantan estas canciones.
Julia loves these songs.
Common mix-ups
You cannot use subject pronouns like yo; you need indirect object pronouns like me because the feet are the subject.
My feet hurt.
Try a reply
Say or write your answer in Spanish before opening the example.
We need two chairs. Use faltar.
Show one possible answer
Nos faltan dos sillas.
Other wording can work too. Compare the verb form, agreement, and word order with the lesson. Then try a sentence about your own day.
See this rule in a story
View all stories →These passages demonstrate this rule in action. Open any story to read the full context with synchronized audio.
Keep practicing
Related grammar
Practice Spanish grammar in context
Fabling builds stories and podcast lessons around your vocabulary, interests, and learning progress.
Your first personalized story is free. No card needed.