Definite article

Question

I've learned to say "Me gusta la carne" for I like meat. Here is says "Me gusta comprar carne, pescado y verduras" with no definite articles. I can't work out why, can anyone help?

Answer

Hola Peter
When you say you like something, you need the article, as in Me gusta la carne, me gusta el cine, me gustan las matemáticas".
If we say we like doing something and this something is something general we don't need the article:

Me gusta comprar carne, pescado y verduras.
I like buying meat, fish and vegetables.
Me gusta dibujar paisajes.
I like drawing landscapes.

If we were a bit more specific then we tend to use an article, for example:

Me gusta dibujar los paisajes que veo en mi pueblo.
I like drawing the landscapes I see in my town.
Me gusta comprar el pescado que vende Manuel en su pescadería.
I like buying the fish that Manuel sells in his fishmongers.

Saludos
Inma