# you don't have to like it



## rhubarb123

I am talking about Spanish music and want to say, 'You dont have to like it, you just have to try'. How would you say this please?

'No tenemos que gustar, pero tenemos que intentar'?

I know this is wrong, but I just don't know how to form it.

Thanks!


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## Reset_mrt

No tiene que gustarte, solo tienes que probar.


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## gengo

Rhubarb, as Reset shows, the idea in Spanish is "It doesn't have to please you."


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## Vol Boy

I'm not sure I would translate "have to like it." 

I would probably say, "*Te guste o no te guste; por lo menos tienes que probarlo."*


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## Vol Boy

Reset_mrt said:


> No tiene que gustarte, solo tienes que probar.



OK, maybe go with a native (Reset) and translate "have to like it"!!


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## rhubarb123

Thanks to you both. Why is gustar in the subjunctive in your second example please volboy?


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## Vol Boy

rhubarb123 said:


> Thanks to you both. Why is gustar in the subjunctive in your second example please volboy?



Because I translated it as "whether you like it or not" or "like it or not" or "like it or don't like it; you at least have to try it."

I think it's correct (if not a literal translation), but maybe Reset can give it a  or  in terms of "correctness" just to clarify.


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## chileno

rhubarb123 said:


> I am talking about spanish music and want to say, 'you dont have to like it, you just have to try'. How would you say this please?
> 
> 'no tenemos que gustar, pero tenemos que intentar'?
> 
> i know this is wrong, but I just don't know how to form it.
> 
> Thanks !



You don't have to like it, you just have to try = No tiene que gustarte, solo tienes que intentar/tratar.

No tenemos que gustar, pero tenemos que intentar = We don't have to be liked, but we have to try.


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## gengo

rhubarb123 said:


> Thanks to you both. Why is gustar in the subjunctive in your second example please volboy?



Not Vol Boy, but it's because it is referring to something hypothetical.  "Whether or not you like it" is referring to something supposed, or imagined.


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## Reset_mrt

Hello again. Vol Boy, you are correct. In Spain, it's more common to say "Te guste o no te guste..." but I was translating trying to maintain the English meaning.

Please, feel free to correct my English. It'll be useful to me.


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## chileno

Vol Boy said:


> I'm not sure I would translate "have to like it."
> 
> I would probably say, "*Te guste o no te guste; por lo menos tienes que probarlo."*



Te guste o no....


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## gengo

Reset_mrt said:


> Hello again. Vol Boy, you are correct. In Spain, it's more common to say "Te guste o no te guste..." but I was translating trying to maintain the English meaning.
> 
> Please, feel free to correct my English. It'll be useful to me.


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## Reset_mrt

Mil gracias!!!!


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## gengo

chileno said:


> No tiene que gustarte, solo tienes que intentar/tratar.



Rhubarb, note the change here.  Chileno has correctly translated "try" as intentar, rather than probar, which means to try in the sense of to sample.  I missed that in Reset's translation.


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## Vol Boy

gengo said:


> Rhubarb, note the change here.  Chileno has correctly translated "try" as intentar, rather than probar, which means to try in the sense of to sample.  I missed that in Reset's translation.



Ah, gengo raises a good point; I missed that, too. 

In the original text, if what "you have to try" is "playing Spanish music" such as playing a guitar, etc. you'll use intentar/tratar.

I took the original to mean "you have to try" in the sense of "you don't have to like it; you just have to try listening to it."  In that case, I think "probar" is the fit.


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## Carlos96

No tiene por qué gustarte, sólo inténtalo. This is a better way to say it


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## Reset_mrt

I can't explain the motivation, but (in Spain) we would never use "tratar" in this context. We could say "Intentarlo/probarlo". 
Anyway, I suppose it depends on the country.

Again, gengo, please... ¡¡correct me if you see something wrong!!


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## Vol Boy

Reset_mrt said:


> I can't explain the motivation, but (in Spain) we would never use "tratar" in this context. We could say "Intentarlo/probarlo".
> Anyway, I suppose it depends on the country.
> 
> Again, gengo, please... ¡¡correct me if you see something wrong!!


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## Reset_mrt

Thank you Vol Boy!


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## rhubarb123

Thank you to you all! Definitive best way of saying it? (One thing: for the 'te guste o no te guste' does that give the sense 'like it or not you have to try'? Because that's not the sense I'm looking for....I'm trying to say you have to try but you don't have to like it - that is like the music not the act of listening...) thanks again


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## Vol Boy

Carlos96 said:


> Are you English or Spanish? Vol Boy



I'm from the United States -- good ol' Tennessee!!  Why?


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## gengo

rhubarb123 said:


> (One thing: for the 'te guste o no te guste' does that give the sense 'like it or not you have to try'? Because that's not the sense I'm looking for....I'm trying to say you have to try but you don't have to like it - that is like the music not the act of listening...) thanks again



Rhubarb, I think you need to give us the context in which you want to use this.  It's possible that probar is actually the right word, but we don't know what exactly you are trying to say.  That is, are you trying to say that you have to try to like "it," or that you have to attempt some activity, such as playing the piano?

Give us a short dialog, or the situation (in English).


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## rhubarb123

Thanks for your help. Well, often narrow minded english speakers stick to english/american music and I want to encourage them to listen to foreign music, saying basically 'you should at least try it, and then make up your mind as to whether you like it' - in fact, how would you say that please?! 'Al menos debéis probarla, y depues decidiros...'? Sorry for being ambiguous. Thanks


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## Reset_mrt

Al menos deberíais probar (a escucharla) y luego decidir si os gusta (o no). 

or:

Al menos deberíais intentar (escucharla) y luego decidir si os gusta (o no).

or:

Al menos deberíais tratar (de escucharla) y luego decidir si os gusta (o no).


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## gengo

OK, in that case Reset was correct in using probar.  And you could use either a faithful translation:

No tiene que gustarte, solo tienes que probarlo

or a liberal translation:

Te guste o no, solo tienes que probarlo.


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## Carlos96

rhubarb123 said:


> Thank you to you all! Definitive best way of saying it? (One thing: for the 'te guste o no te guste' does that give the sense 'like it or not you have to try'? Because that's not the sense I'm looking for....I'm trying to say you have to try but you don't have to like it - that is like the music not the act of listening...) thanks again


Then you can say: "No te gustará, pero pruébalo"


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## Carlos96

Vol Boy said:


> I'm from the United States -- good ol' Tennessee!!  Why?


Sorry I still don't know how to use this forum very good


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## gengo

Carlos96 said:


> Sorry I still don't know how to use this forum very well.



Carlos, in the upper-right corner of each post there is information about the native language of the poster, and usually there is location information, so you can know where the person is currently living.  This information helps us decide how to interpret what the poster says, and it's also fun to see where people are all around the world.  I urge you to change your user profile to include your own location.


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## vertebrado

rhubarb123 said:


> Thanks for your help. Well, often narrow minded english speakers stick to english/american music and I want to encourage them to listen to foreign music, saying basically 'you should at least try it, and then make up your mind as to whether you like it' - in fact, how would you say that please?! 'Al menos debéis probarla, y depues decidiros...'? Sorry for being ambiguous. Thanks


If so you better explain it to them in English and everything will be easier.

As a translation I think the most natural in Spanish in Spain would be something as: "aunque creas que no te gusta, al menos escuchala y luego me dices".
I don't find the options said before as "pruebala" or "intentala" natural, nobody, as far as I know, says that when it comes to listening to music.


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## gengo

vertebrado said:


> Aunque creas que no te gusta, al menos escúchala y luego me dices.



That sounds like a very good option.


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## Carlos96

gengo said:


> Carlos, in the upper-right corner of each post there is information about the native language of the poster, and usually there is location information, so you can know where the person is currently living.  This information helps us decide how to interpret what the poster says, and it's also fun to see where people are all around the world.  I urge you to change your user profile to include your own location.



 Thank you!!


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