Who feels, perceives or knows
Who feels, notices, or knows it?
Meaning
Someone can feel, perceive, want, or know something without carrying out an action. This participant is the one who has the feeling, perception, desire, or knowledge. Languages may make this person the subject, mark them like a recipient or object, or use no special marker for the role. Unlike Doer or cause, this person need not choose or control what happens.
How to spot it
Ask who has the feeling, perception, desire, or knowledge, even if something else is the subject.
In your native language
The person who feels, perceives, or knows something is often the English subject, before the verb. With verbs such as bother or surprise, that person can instead be the object, after the verb. The verb and its usual partners determine the pattern.
I like this song.
The person who likes the song is the subject.
Anna knows the answer.
The noise bothers him.
The person who feels bothered is the object, not the subject.
In your learning language
With verbs such as saber and ver, the person who knows or perceives is normally the subject. With gustar and doler, that person is expressed with recipient forms such as me, te, or le, often alongside a phrase beginning with a. The thing liked or the body part that hurts is then the subject and determines whether the verb is singular or plural.
Sé dónde está la panadería.
I know where the bakery is.
The verb form identifies the person who knows as I.
A Marta le gustan las naranjas.
Marta likes oranges.
A Marta le identifies the person who likes them; las naranjas is the plural subject.
Tengo frío.
I'm cold.
This feeling uses tener with the person as the subject, not the gustar pattern.
Learners whose language makes the person the subject of liking may build gustar sentences with the wrong roles. They may also keep gusta singular when several things are liked.