"Verbs like gustar"

Lucio F.B2Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

"Verbs like gustar"

________ divierte poner música a todo volumen.

My neighbours enjoy playing music really loudly.


"with verbs like gustar"
https://progress.lawlessspanish.com/learn/theme/707648

Nowhere in there does it list "divertir"
I'm unclear on why it wasn't divierten like it would have been "disfrutan"

Asked 2 weeks ago
InmaKwiziq team memberCorrect answer

Hola Lucio 

The list of verbs that operate like gustar is a selection of verbs because there are a lot more. I looked into that specific question and the type of question is a dropdown menu with different options where the only possible correct answer is "A mis vecinos les..." - the others are all incorrect because the verb in singular (divierte) can only match with this structrure like gustar. 

The verb disfrutar is different because it only works as a "normal" verb with a direct object (it doesn't work like gustar at all) - with disfrutar you'd say: 

Mis vecinos disfrutan la música a todo volúmen. 

My neighbours enjoy loud music.

I hope it clarifies it.

Saludos

Inma

Lucio F.B2Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

I understand that the 'a' is how I could have known the correct answer - but that wouldn't have cleared up my confusion on 'les' 

Your answer "The list of verbs that operate like gustar is a selection of verbs because there are a lot more." suggests divertir is a gustar-like verb.  

Maybe my confusion is the difference between divertir and divertirse?  Only divertir acts like gustar, and not divertirse?


InmaKwiziq team member

I understand - sometimes it's easy to get confused with verbs that are synonyms (in this case both divertir and disfrutar are translated as "to enjoy") although they work in a different way.

Also, you can use divertir and divertirse. If you use it as a pronominal verb with -se, then the structure is different as it is reflexive, so you'd say:

Mis vecinos se divierten poniendo la música a todo volumen.

Here the verbs agrees with the subject "mis vecinos".

However, with divertir:

A mis vecinos les divierte poner la música a todo volumen.

Here it works like gustar and you need the indirect object pronouns, not the reflexive pronoun.

Another example could be for example "sorprender" and "sorprenderse" where you can say:

A mi madre le sorprendieron mis notas.

My results surprised my mum.

Mi madre se sorprendió con mis notas / al ver mis notas.

My mum was surprised with my results / to see my results.

Saludos de nuevo

Inma

 

 

"Verbs like gustar"

________ divierte poner música a todo volumen.

My neighbours enjoy playing music really loudly.


"with verbs like gustar"
https://progress.lawlessspanish.com/learn/theme/707648

Nowhere in there does it list "divertir"
I'm unclear on why it wasn't divierten like it would have been "disfrutan"

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