You can get a table and order drinks — now it's time to explore the food! In this lesson, you'll learn how to ask for recommendations, describe food flavors, and express your preferences. You'll expand on 'gustar' with 'encantar' (to love) and 'fascinar' (to fascinate), giving you more ways to talk about what you enjoy.
Learning tips
- 'Rico' in Colombia doesn't just mean 'rich' — it's the everyday word for 'delicious' or 'tasty.' You'll hear it constantly!
- 'Recomendar' is a stem-changing verb (e→ie): 'recomiendo, recomiendas, recomienda.' It follows the same pattern as 'querer.'
- 'Me encanta' is stronger than 'me gusta' — like the difference between 'I like' and 'I love.' Use it for things you really enjoy.
- When asking for recommendations in a restaurant, '¿Que me recomienda?' (formal) is the standard phrase.
Warm-up & Active Recall
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| el agua | the water |
| el jugo | the juice |
| el café | the coffee |
| el tinto | the tinto (small black coffee) |
| la cerveza | the beer |
| la gaseosa | the soda |
| caliente | hot |
| frío | cold |
| con | with |
| sin | without |
Dialog
Valentina asks for recommendations while Andres shares his food preferences. Notice how they use 'me gusta,' 'me encanta,' and 'no me gusta' to express different levels of liking. The adjectives 'delicioso,' 'rico,' 'picante,' 'dulce,' and 'salado' describe flavors. 'Rico' is quintessentially Colombian — it means 'delicious/tasty' and is used far more than 'delicioso' in everyday speech.
Vocabulary
Active words
| Word | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| recomendar | /re.ko.men.ˈdaɾ/ | to recommend | Stem-changing: recomiendo, recomiendas, recomienda (e→ie) |
| probar | /pɾo.ˈβaɾ/ | to try, to taste | Stem-changing: pruebo, pruebas, prueba (o→ue) |
| delicioso | /de.li.ˈsjo.so/ | delicious | More formal than 'rico' — used for emphasis |
| rico | /ˈri.ko/ | tasty, delicious, yummy | The everyday Colombian word for 'delicious' — extremely common |
| picante | /pi.ˈkan.te/ | spicy | Colombian food is generally mild — but some regions like it spicy |
| dulce | /ˈdul.se/ | sweet | For food and drinks — Colombians love sweet flavors |
| salado | /sa.ˈla.ðo/ | salty | Changes form: salado/salada |
| el plato | /ˈpla.to/ | the dish, the plate | Both the food and the physical plate |
| la sopa | /ˈso.pa/ | the soup | Soup is a key part of Colombian meals — often served as a first course |
| la ensalada | /en.sa.ˈla.ða/ | the salad |
Passive words
| Word | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| el ingrediente | /in.ɡɾe.ˈðjen.te/ | the ingredient | |
| vegetariano | /be.xe.ta.ˈɾja.no/ | vegetarian | |
| alérgico | /a.ˈleɾ.xi.ko/ | allergic | |
| la porción | /poɾ.ˈsjon/ | the portion, serving | |
| especial | /es.pe.ˈsjal/ | special | |
| típico | /ˈti.pi.ko/ | typical, traditional |
Useful chunks
| Word | Translation |
|---|---|
| ¿qué me recomienda? | what do you recommend? (formal) |
| me encanta | I love it (lit. 'it enchants me') |
Grammar: Expanding 'gustar' — me encanta, me fascina, no me gusta
| Expression | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| me gusta | I like | Me gusta la sopa. |
| me gustan | I like (plural) | Me gustan las arepas. |
| me encanta | I love | Me encanta la ensalada. |
| me encantan | I love (plural) | Me encantan los jugos. |
| no me gusta | I don't like | No me gusta el picante. |
| me fascina | I'm fascinated by | Me fascina la comida colombiana. |
You already know me gusta (I like). Now let's expand your toolkit!
Me encanta = I love (stronger than 'me gusta'):
- Me encanta la sopa. (I love the soup.)
- Me encantan los jugos. (I love the juices.)
Me fascina = I'm fascinated by / I absolutely love:
- Me fascina la comida colombiana. (I'm fascinated by Colombian food.)
No me gusta = I don't like:
- No me gusta la comida picante. (I don't like spicy food.)
All these verbs follow the same pattern as 'gustar':
- Use the singular form (gusta/encanta/fascina) with singular nouns or infinitives
- Use the plural form (gustan/encantan/fascinan) with plural nouns
Examples:
- Me gusta el cafe. / Me gustan las arepas.
- Le encanta la sopa. / Les encantan los platos.
- Nos fascina la ensalada. / Nos fascinan los postres.
Exercises
Fill in the Blanks
Complete each sentence with the missing word.
- ¿Qué me hoy? Quiero algo nuevo.(to recommend — formal usted form)
- La sopa es muy . Me encanta.(adjective meaning delicious/tasty)
- No me gusta la comida .(adjective for hot/spicy flavor)
- Quiero el plato del día.(to try/taste — infinitive)
- La de frutas es fresca y dulce.(a dish made of mixed greens/vegetables)
Grammar Application
Form a complete sentence using the correct form of the 'gustar-type' verb.
- yo / encantar / la sopa → (me + encanta + singular noun)
- tú / gustar / los platos picantes → (te + gustan + plural noun)
- él / no gustar / la ensalada → (no + le + gusta + singular noun)
- nosotros / fascinar / la comida colombiana → (nos + fascina + singular noun)
- ustedes / encantar / los postres → (les + encantan + plural noun)
Translation (English to Spanish)
Translate each sentence into Spanish.
- What do you recommend?
- I love the soup. It's delicious.
- I don't like spicy food.
- The dish is sweet and tasty.
- I want to try the salad.
Creative Construction
Write a short conversation about food preferences (2-3 sentences) using words from this lesson. Describe what you like and don't like.
Takeaway
Use '¿Que me recomienda?' to ask for suggestions. Express preferences with 'me gusta' (I like), 'me encanta' (I love), and 'no me gusta' (I don't like). Describe flavors with 'rico,' 'delicioso,' 'picante,' 'dulce,' and 'salado.'