Why it’s different from “to like” in English — and how to finally get it right
Ciao! 👋
If you are learning Italian, you’ve probably asked yourself at least once: “Why is the verb piacere so difficult?”
Don’t worry — you’re not alone! Many learners struggle with this verb because it simply doesn’t work like the verb “to like” in English. In this article, you’ll find a clear and simple explanation of how to use piacere correctly in Italian, complete with practical examples you can start using right away.
📖 Table of Contents
1. The Main Difference: Italian vs. English
A reversed structure that changes everything
Let’s start by looking at how the two languages build the sentence. In English, the person who likes something is the subject of the sentence:
- “I like pizza.” (The person = subject)
- “La pizza piace a me.” (Literally: “Pizza is pleasing to me.” — The thing = subject)
In Italian, the subject is not “I”, but the thing you like. This small mental shift is the secret to mastering this verb!
2. The Two Forms You Need Most
Piace vs. Piacciono — that’s it!
Luckily, you don’t need to memorize the full conjugation of piacere right away. In daily conversations, you really only need two forms.
- “Mi piace la pizza.” (I like pizza — singular noun)
- “Ti piace il film?” (Do you like the movie? — singular noun)
- “Mi piace leggere.” (I like to read — infinitive verb)
- “Mi piacciono gli spaghetti.” (I like spaghetti — plural noun)
- “Le piacciono i fiori.” (She likes flowers — plural noun)
Focus only on piace and piacciono. That is enough for 95% of everyday situations!
3. The Pronouns That Matter
Indirect object pronouns — who likes it?
Before piace or piacciono, you must use small indirect object pronouns to show who likes something (literally: to whom it is pleasing).
| mi | to me | “Mi piace…” |
| ti | to you | “Ti piace…” |
| gli | to him | “Gli piace…” |
| le | to her | “Le piace…” |
| ci | to us | “Ci piace…” |
| vi | to you (pl.) | “Vi piace…” |
| gli | to them | “Gli piacciono…” |
- “Gli piacciono i cani.” (He likes dogs / Dogs are pleasing to him.)
- “Ci piace viaggiare.” (We like traveling / Traveling is pleasing to us.)
4. The Most Common Mistakes Learners Make
And how to fix them
Because of the reversed structure, it’s easy to make mistakes. Here are the most common ones to watch out for:
- ❌ “Io piace la pizza.” Using English structure with a subject pronoun. ✅ “Mi piace la pizza.”
- ❌ “A Roberto si piace leggere.” Wrong pronoun — “si” is reflexive, not indirect. ✅ “A Roberto piace leggere.” / “Gli piace leggere.”
- ❌ “Mi piacciono il caffè.” Verb agreement error — caffè is singular! ✅ “Mi piace il caffè.”
- ❌ “Il film mi ha piaciuto.” Wrong auxiliary — piacere always takes essere in the past! ✅ “Il film mi è piaciuto.”
5. Using Piacere in the Past Tense
Passato Prossimo — two things to remember
Once you feel comfortable with the present tense, you can start using piacere in the past. Remember two things: it uses the auxiliary verb essere, and the past participle must agree in gender and number with the thing you liked — not with you!
- “Mi è piaciuto il film.” (I liked the movie — masculine singular)
- “Mi è piaciuta la torta.” (I liked the cake — feminine singular)
- “Ci sono piaciute le vacanze.” (We liked the holidays — feminine plural)
Piaciuto / piaciuta / piaciuti / piaciute changes depending on what is being liked, not on who is doing the liking!
6. Similar Verbs to Expand Your Vocabulary
Other verbs that work exactly like piacere
Once you’re confident with piacere, try using these other common Italian verbs that use the exact same reversed structure:
- Mancare (to miss): “Mi manca la mia famiglia.” (I miss my family / My family is missing to me.)
- Servire (to need): “Ti serve aiuto?” (Do you need help? / Is help useful to you?)
- Interessare (to be interested in): “Gli interessano i libri.” (He is interested in books.)
- Bastare (to be enough): “Mi bastano 10 euro.” (10 euros is enough for me.)
Learning Italian grammar can feel tricky, but progress comes step by step. One day, you’ll simply say Mi piace! without translating it in your head. Keep practicing, and the Italian language will slowly become yours.
Alla prossima! 👋
📄 Free PDF Summary & Exercises
I often read interesting articles that I know I want to re-read later, so I print them out or save them to my iPad. If you feel the same way, I’ve put together a free PDF Summary Table of this article, along with a worksheet with practical exercises and solutions so you can put piacere to the test!
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