Disfrutar y disfrutar de

Hola E. L.

Thanks for your great question! The verbs "disfrutar" and "disfrutar de" can both be used correctly in Spanish, and the difference between them often comes down to style, region and formality.

In modern everyday Spanish, especially in spoken language, it’s very common to use "disfrutar" directly with a noun. For example: "Disfruto la comida" (I enjoy the food) or "¿Disfrutaste la película?" (Did you enjoy the movie?). This use is widely accepted and increasingly common, particularly in Latin America and among younger speakers.

On the other hand, the form "disfrutar de" is also perfectly correct and often considered a bit more formal or literary. It’s frequently used in writing or when referring to more abstract ideas. For instance, you might say: "Disfrutamos de unas vacaciones tranquilas" (We enjoyed a peaceful holiday) or "Ella disfruta de buena salud" (She enjoys good health).

Now, regarding your example — "Las personas que me disfrutan son mis mejores amigos" — this sentence doesn’t sound natural in Spanish. While it’s grammatically structured, we don’t usually use "disfrutar" with people as the direct object in that way. It can even come across as ambiguous. A clearer and more natural version would be: "Las personas que disfrutan de mi compañía son mis mejores amigos" (The people who enjoy my company are my best friends). Or more simply: "Mis mejores amigos son los que disfrutan estar conmigo."

I hope this helps clarify the difference! Let me know if you’d like more examples or practice using these structures.

Un saludo

Silvia