I Like to Run but They Don’t in Spanish | Say It Right

“Me gusta correr, pero a ellos no” is the natural Spanish translation when you mean that you enjoy running and they do not.

If you’ve tried to turn this sentence into Spanish word by word, you’ve probably landed on something that sounds off. That’s normal. English uses “like” one way. Spanish uses gustar in a different pattern, and that’s where most learners get tripped up.

The clean version is Me gusta correr, pero a ellos no. You can swap a ellos for a ellas if you mean a group of women. You can even shorten it in casual speech, though the full form is the safest choice when you want your meaning to land right away.

This article breaks down why that sentence works, what each part is doing, and which versions sound natural in real Spanish. You’ll see where learners make mistakes, when to use les gusta, and how to tweak the line for speech, writing, or classwork.

Saying I Like To Run But They Do Not In Spanish Naturally

The most natural translation is:

• Me gusta correr, pero a ellos no.

That literally works more like “Running is pleasing to me, but not to them.” That sounds odd in English, yet it’s the right mental model for Spanish. With gustar, the thing being liked acts as the subject, while the person who feels that liking takes an indirect object pronoun.

So in me gusta correr, the pronoun me means “to me,” and correr is the thing that is liked. The verb stays in singular form because the action of running is treated as one unit. The RAE entry for “gustar” reflects that sense of finding pleasure in something.

The second half, pero a ellos no, drops the repeated verb because Spanish often leaves out words that are already clear from context. Native speakers do this all the time. The full version would be pero a ellos no les gusta, or even pero a ellos no les gusta correr. All three can work. The shorter form just sounds lighter.

Why Word-For-Word Translation Fails Here

A direct English-style attempt might look like Yo gusto correr pero ellos no. That misses how gustar works. In standard Spanish, you do not use it the same way as English “like.” The usual structure needs an indirect object pronoun such as me, te, le, or les.

That’s why me gusta correr works and yo gusto correr does not. The Real Academia Española explains this pattern in its Diccionario panhispánico de dudas entry on “gustar”, where the thing that causes pleasure acts as the grammatical subject.

What Each Part Means

Break the sentence into chunks and it gets much easier:

• Me = to me
• Gusta = is pleasing
• Correr = to run / running
• Pero = but
• A ellos = to them
• No = not

That’s the engine under the hood. Once you see it, a lot of other Spanish sentences start making sense too: me gusta nadar, les gusta bailar, no me gusta esperar.

When To Use A Ellos, Les, Or Both

This is the part that often feels slippery. In Spanish, les can mean “to them,” and a ellos can do that job too. In many lines with gustar, Spanish uses both together: a ellos les gusta correr. That is not duplication for the sake of it. It adds clarity and emphasis.

Use these patterns as your base:

• Les gusta correr. Good when the group is already clear.
• A ellos les gusta correr. Good when you want to stress who you mean.
• A ellos no. Good as a short follow-up after the verb has already been said.

If you are answering a workbook item or speaking with beginners, the full version is often the safest: Me gusta correr, pero a ellos no les gusta correr. It repeats more than native speech usually needs, yet it leaves no room for confusion.

Centro Virtual Cervantes has usage notes and forum guidance that point learners toward the same pattern: the person is marked with an indirect object form, while the thing liked drives the verb choice and number.

English idea	Natural Spanish	Why it works
I like to run.	Me gusta correr.	Correr works as one action, so gusta stays singular.
They like to run.	Les gusta correr.	Les marks “to them.”
They do not like to run.	No les gusta correr.	No goes before the pronoun and verb.
I like to run but they don’t.	Me gusta correr, pero a ellos no.	The second half drops repeated words that are clear from context.
I like running but they don’t.	Me gusta correr, pero a ellos no.	Spanish often uses the infinitive where English uses the -ing form.
I like to run but they don’t either.	Me gusta correr, pero a ellos tampoco.	Tampoco means “not either.”
I like running but they do not like it.	Me gusta correr, pero a ellos no les gusta.	The verb can stay without repeating correr.
I like to run but they hate it.	Me gusta correr, pero ellos lo odian.	Once you switch verbs, the grammar pattern changes.

Common Mistakes That Make The Sentence Sound Off

Most mistakes come from forcing English grammar into Spanish. Here are the ones that show up most often.

Using Yo Gusto

Yo gusto correr is not the standard way to say this. You want me gusta correr. That small shift carries the whole sentence.

Forgetting Les

Learners sometimes write a ellos no gusta correr. That is missing the indirect object pronoun. You need les if the verb appears: a ellos no les gusta correr.

Using Gustan With Correr

Correr is one activity, so you use gusta, not gustan. You would use gustan with plural nouns like los parques or las carreras.

Overusing Pronouns

Me gusta correr, pero ellos no les gusta correr sounds messy. If you say ellos as the subject and keep gustar, the cleaner form is a ellos no les gusta correr. The preposition a matters there.

I Like To Run but They Don’t in Spanish For Different Situations

You do not need one fixed sentence for every setting. Spanish gives you a few natural options, and the best one depends on how formal, clear, or punchy you want to sound.

Use the short form when the context is already set:

• Me gusta correr, pero a ellos no.

Use the fuller form when you want zero ambiguity:

• Me gusta correr, pero a ellos no les gusta correr.

Use a balanced middle version when you want a natural rhythm with a bit more clarity:

• Me gusta correr, pero a ellos no les gusta.

If you mean “they” as a feminine group, change only one part:

• Me gusta correr, pero a ellas no.

If you want to hear this structure in many everyday patterns, the Centro Virtual Cervantes forum archive on verbos como “gustar” shows the same indirect-object logic in learner questions and answers.

Situation	Best version	Tone
Casual conversation	Me gusta correr, pero a ellos no.	Light and natural
Class assignment	Me gusta correr, pero a ellos no les gusta correr.	Clear and complete
When the group is already known	Me gusta correr, pero no les gusta.	Compact
When you want emphasis	Me gusta correr, pero a ellos no les gusta.	More pointed
Feminine group	Me gusta correr, pero a ellas no.	Specific

A Natural Version You Can Trust

If you want one sentence that sounds right in most cases, go with Me gusta correr, pero a ellos no. It is natural, clean, and easy to remember. It shows that you know how gustar works instead of just swapping English words into Spanish slots.

If you are still building confidence with this pattern, use the longer form for a while: Me gusta correr, pero a ellos no les gusta correr. Once that feels comfortable, the shorter version will make more sense because you will know what has been left out.

That one grammar pattern opens the door to dozens of useful lines: me gusta leer, no les gusta esperar, a ella le gusta viajar. Once you get the feel of it, Spanish starts sounding less like a puzzle and more like real speech.