# Caer bien / gustar



## Magmod

¿Puede alguien corregir lo siguiente si he cometido errores?:

Le caiste bien(Causar buena impresión) = She likes you
Le caiste mal(Causar mala impresión) = He doesn't like you

No me cae bien = me cae mal - I don't like him/her.
Me cae bien - I like him/her.
No le caigo bien - He doesn't like me.
Le caigo bien - He likes me.
No les cae bien - They don't like him/her.
Les cae bien - They like him/her.
Le caiste bien = S/he liked you etc.

Can a Spanish speaker compare this construction of *caer with gustar?*


For an English speaker:
*Caer = to fall
*I can't help falling for ( a Walls ) = I like (fall) Walls ice-cream

Me cae bien = literally > he fell for me > I like him
Le *caiste* bien = She liked you > *You fell* for him

To fall in love = enamorarse > so the Spanish speakers don't us *caer* here 
Saludos


----------



## javialacarga

Magmod said:


> ¿Puede alguien corregir lo siguiente si he cometido errores?:
> 
> Le ca*í*ste bien(Causar buena impresión) = He/She like*d* you
> Le ca*í*ste mal(Causar mala impresión) = He/She d*id*n't like you
> 
> 
> No me cae bien = me cae mal - I don't like him/her.
> Me cae bien - I like him/her.
> No le caigo bien - He/She doesn't like me.
> Le caigo bien - He/She likes me.
> No les cae bien - They don't like him/her.
> Les cae bien - They like him/her.
> Le caíste bien = He/She liked you etc.
> 
> Can a Spanish speaker compare this construction of *caer with gustar?*
> 
> 
> For an English speaker:
> *Caer = to fall
> *I can't help falling for ( a Walls ) = I like (fall) Walls ice-cream
> 
> Me cae bien = literally > he fell for me > I like him
> Le *caiste* bien = She liked you > *You fell* for him
> 
> To fall in love = enamorarse > so the Spanish speakers don't us *caer* here
> Saludos



I am not sure of what are you asking regarding caer/fall/enamorarse/etc


----------



## stretch

From my experience, "caerle bien" is used with reference to people, while "gustar" is used for things, to put it simply.  "Gustar" used with people seems to be taken in a romantic sense, and in that sense it is acceptable, but if you aren't romantically interested in someone, I would say "me cae bien".


----------



## kate

Hola
Desde mi punto de vista de español hablante, te digo que caer bien, es que le simpatiza (le agrada su presencia, hablar con el/ella) es como una reaccion de primera vista.  Gustar en cambio es algo mas de agradar fisicamente (le gusta por que es alta/o, delgado/a, ....) y como una atraccion fisica.  
Te puede caer muy bien alguien pero al mismo tiempo no te gusta (fisicamente).
O te puede gustar alguien pero no te cae bien (por que es creido, ...)


----------



## Magmod

Muchas gracias por responder 

¿ Entonces cómo se conjuga las frases con gustar?:


Mi intento así:

No me cae bien = me cae mal - I don't like him/her> No me gusta bien/mucho 
Me cae bien - I like him/her > Me gusta bien
No le caigo bien - He/She doesn't like me. No le gusto bien
Le caigo bien - He/She likes me. Le gusto bien
No les cae bien - They don't like him/her > no les gusta bien
Les cae bien - They like him/her.> Les gusta bien
Le caíste bien = He/She liked you > le gustaste bien


----------



## k-in-sc

Bottom line! 
Don't say someone (you know personally) "te gusta" unless you are hot for them!!
"Gustar" means "to be attractive to in a sexual sense."
Clear now?


----------



## beandele

Agree with Kate.


----------



## jinti

Magmod said:


> For an English speaker:
> *Caer = to fall
> *I can't help falling for ( a Walls ) = I like (fall) Walls ice-cream
> 
> Me cae bien = literally > he fell for me > I like him  But _he fell for me _means _he _ likes/is in love with _me_, not _I_ like/am in love with _him_.  I think trying to remember the Spanish meaning this way may end up being more confusing than helpful.


I think of _caer bien/mal_ more as to _come off well/poorly_.

For example:
Some people don't _come off well _when you first meet them.


----------



## Södertjej

We don't use caer for falling in love so don't try to find a connection between caer and fall for someone, as there's none.

Caer bien/mal: My perception of that person. No romantic nuances involved at all. Tu abuela me cae muy bien, es muy simpática.

Gustar: when using it with people we often use it when there's a romantic/sexual interest, or just to imply you find someone attractive. Me gusta mucho Brad Pitt, es guapísimo

BUT: given the right context you can use it to mean "like" in a non romantic way: Me gusta mucho Brad Pitt, es un excelente actor. And here I mean I like him just as an actor.

Hope this helps.


----------



## stretch

Good insights, Soder.


----------



## Södertjej

Thanks Stretch.

And of course you don't use "caer bien" with things, just as you mentioned, unless you mean something is difficult for you to digest: no me caen bien los pimientos rojos, me producen indigestión. But that's a different meaning!


----------



## javialacarga

Magmod said:


> Muchas gracias por responder
> 
> ¿ Entonces cómo se conjuga las frases con gustar?:
> 
> 
> Mi intento así:
> 
> No me cae bien = me cae mal - I don't like him/her> No me gusta bien/mucho
> Me cae bien - I like him/her > Me gusta bien
> No le caigo bien - He/She doesn't like me. No le gusto bien
> Le caigo bien - He/She likes me. Le gusto bien
> No les cae bien - They don't like him/her > no les gusta bien
> Les cae bien - They like him/her.> Les gusta bien
> Le caíste bien = He/She liked you > le gustaste bien



Gustar es un término que se puede usar de ambas maneras. Para expresar que alguien te cae bien o para expresar que te sientes atraído por él (físicamente, sexualmente, en sentido romántico, etc). No estoy de acuerdo en que solo se use con la segunda intención. Lo que ocurre quizás es que, al ser una palabra que da lugar a ambigüedad, muchos hablantes la marginan por miedo a ser malinterpretados, por miedo a que si dicen "Me gusta fulanito" la gente entienda que fulanito les atrae sexualmente, cuando a lo mejor no pretendían decir eso. Es más común, al menos en España, que "gustar" se use -al referirse a personas- para indicar una atracción amorosa o sexual, pero el uso es posible de ambas formas.


----------



## stretch

javialacarga said:


> Gustar es un término que se puede usar de ambas maneras. Para expresar que alguien te cae bien o para expresar que te sientes atraído por él (físicamente, sexualmente, en sentido romántico, etc). No estoy de acuerdo en que solo se use con la segunda intención. Lo que ocurre quizás es que, al ser una palabra que da lugar a ambigüedad, muchos hablantes la marginan por miedo a ser malinterpretados, por miedo a que si dicen "Me gusta fulanito" la gente entienda que fulanito les atrae sexualmente, cuando a lo mejor no pretendían decir eso. Es más común, al menos en España, que "gustar" se use -al referirse a personas- para indicar una atracción amorosa o sexual, pero el uso es posible de ambas formas.


 
I agree, jav...and I hope this is what I indicated, or at least implied, in my first post.  My preference is always to avoid the ambiguity that you mention.


----------



## k-in-sc

You're right that it's not absolute, but I was worried that Magmod wasn't getting it.


----------



## Milton Sand

Hello,





Magmod said:


> ¿Puede alguien corregir[me] lo siguiente*,* si he cometido errores?:
> 1. Le ca*í*ste bien (Causar buena impresión) = She likes liked you
> 2. Le ca*í*ste mal (Causar mala impresión) = He doesn't didn't like you
> 
> No me cae bien = me cae mal - I don't like him/her. *√*
> Me cae bien - I like him/her. *√*
> No le caigo bien - He doesn't like me. *√*
> Le caigo bien - He likes me. *√*
> No les cae bien - They don't like him/her. *√*
> Les cae bien - They like him/her. *√*
> 
> Le ca*í*ste bien = S/he liked you etc. *√*


The actual sense of "gustar" is not exactly "to be liked [by]", but something like "to be delightful [to]". It brings the idea of pleasure caused by a food, or a piece of art, or a satisfying action or, passively, by a person. (I mean, a person does not have to do anything to be considered delightful by another).

"Caer bien/mal" is just a matter of reception/opinion; it refers to a good or bad effect (social or organic) caused by the subject, not necessarily one of delight/displeasure. A food can _caer bien o mal_ too, as well as an item of news can.

Te gusta esa pintura. = You like (and, if you could, would get) that painting.

Me gusta esa chica. = I like (and even want) that girl.

Me iba cayendo mal la hamburguesa. = The hamburguer kind of gave me indigestion.

No te gusta su actitud, te cae mal, ¿no? = You don't like her attitude, you find it tiresome, don't you?

I hope this gave additional help.

Regards,


----------



## Magmod

jinti said:


> Me cae bien = literally > he fell for me > I like him But _he fell for me _means _he _likes/is in love with _me_, not _I_ like/am in love with _him_. I think trying to remember the Spanish meaning this way may end up being more confusing than helpful.
> 
> For example:
> Some people don't _come off well _when you first meet them.



Because Spanish conjugate *gustar* and *caer bien* back to front, I could resolve the problem for an English speaker as follows:

Te *gusta* esa pintura. = That picture *is pleasing* to you = You like that painting. ( *is pleasing = gusta* and therefore the sentence is not back to front in English)
Similarly for an English speaker:


*Caer = to fall*
I can't help *falling* for ( a Walls ) = Me *cea* bien Walls ice-cream = I like Walls ice-cream.
Another example from MS:

No te *gusta* su actitud, te cae mal, ¿no? = Her attitude is not *pleasing* to you, .... ( can you finish the sentence using *fall? *)= You don't like her attitude, you find it tiresome ( where is the word fall in English?), don't you?


----------



## Magmod

k-in-sc said:


> You're right that it's not absolute, but I was worried that Magmod wasn't getting it.


 Thanks I get it better now


----------



## k-in-sc

No offense, Magmod, I just didn't want you going around saying "So-and-so me gusta" and having people look at you funny! ;-)


----------



## stretch

Magmod said:


> Because Spanish conjugate *gustar* and *caer bien* back to front, I could resolve the problem for an English speaker as follows:
> 
> Te *gusta* esa pintura. = That picture *is pleasing* to you = You like that painting. ( *is pleasing = gusta* and therefore the sentence is not back to front in English)
> Similarly for an English speaker:
> 
> 
> *Caer = to fall*
> I can't help *falling* for ( a Walls ) = Me *cae* bien Walls ice-cream = I like Walls ice-cream.
> Another example from MS:
> 
> No te *gusta* su actitud, te cae mal, ¿no? = Her attitude is not *pleasing* to you, .... ( can you finish the sentence using *fall? *)= You don't like her attitude, you find it tiresome ( where is the word fall in English?), don't you?


 
I don't know if I would say "falling for" is an equivalent of "caer bien,"  unless of course, if in BE "to fall for" also means "to like"(in the sense of liking food, sports cars, etc.).  Whenever I've heard "I'm falling for...", it usually refers to falling for/falling in love with/becoming romantically attached to a person.  Is there an additional BE meaning?


----------



## Södertjej

Magmod said:


> *Caer = to fall*
> 
> I can't help *falling* for ( a Walls ) = Me *cae* bien Walls ice-cream = I like Walls ice-cream




Just keep in mind you can't say "me cae bien el helado Walls" if you mean you like that ice cream. Caer bien/mal + food means you find it easy/difficult to digest it.


----------



## stretch

Södertjej said:


> [/list]Just keep in mind you can't say "me cae bien el helado Walls" if you mean you like that ice cream. Caer bien/mal + food means you find it easy/difficult to digest it.


 
That too.


----------



## Magmod

stretch said:


> Is there an additional BE meaning?


*To fall for* is used colloquially and the Oxford dictionary's definition: 

be captivated or deceived by, admire, yield to the charms or merits of
 I wonder if the Webseter dictionary has a definition?


----------



## stretch

Magmod said:


> *To fall for* is used colloquially and the Oxford dictionary's definition:
> 
> be captivated or deceived by, admire, yield to the charms or merits of
> I wonder if the Webseter dictionary has a definition?


 
Right, but what I mean is that I would only use this definition when referring to people I'm falling for, not things like "a Walls" (ice cream?).


----------



## Ynez

Anyhow, you can really say "Me gusta" and it just means you like that person. Because you can say that of someone you just met, I could say it of an old lady, to give an example. I can't say "Me cae bien" because I don't know her enough, but there is something about her, the way she speaks, the things she says....¡Me gusta!


----------



## stretch

Good insight, Ynez!


----------



## Magmod

stretch said:


> Right, but what I mean is that I would only use this definition when referring to people I'm falling for, not things like "a Walls" (ice cream?).


One of Walls ice cream famous adverts is:

I can't help falling for a Walls


----------



## stretch

Magmod said:


> One of Walls ice cream famous adverts is:
> 
> I can't help falling for a Walls


 
Sure, I could see that for an advertisement, especially if there were some sense of humor to it, but would you use this conversationally, in a more straightlaced tone?
Just curious.


----------



## colocha

se puede decir "cuando era nina, me caia mal nadar." to mean i didn't like swimming?

solamente se puede decir que "me caia mal" cuando hablas de  una persona o una comida?

(todavia no estoy clara.)

gracias por su paciencia


----------



## ehpb

Yo diría "Cuando era niña no me gustaba nadar".
La expresión "caer mal" se utiliza especialmente para personas.
En el caso de comidas y bebidas significa lo mismo que "sentar mal".
Saludos


----------



## stretch

colocha said:


> se puede decir "cuando era nina, me caia mal nadar." to mean i didn't like swimming?
> 
> solamente se puede decir que "me caia mal" cuando hablas de  una persona o una comida?
> 
> (todavia no estoy clara.)
> 
> gracias por su paciencia



Hi colocha,

      I agree with ehpb.  Also, please don't forget to use proper punctuation, including accents when you write in Spanish.

Welcome to the forum!


----------



## Milton Sand

colocha said:


> Hola:
> *¿*Se puede decir: "Cuando era nina, me caía mal nadar" To mean para decir: *"I* didn't like swimming"?
> 
> *¿*Solamente se puede decir que "me ca*í*a mal" cuando hablas de una persona o una comida?
> 
> (*T*odav*í*a no estoy clara.)
> 
> *G*racias por su paciencia


Hi,
You can say "nadar me caía mal" to mean swimming used to make you sick/uncomfortable/unwell or something.
Regards,


----------



## hopeISgood

En Costa Rica, se usan, me cae bien para amigos, y me gusta pa' novi@


----------



## Albertan82

Mx Gracias,todos los expertos!
Excelente!!


----------

