One of the most useful and distinct verbs you'll encounter early in your Italian studies is piacere. While it translates roughly to "to like," its structure is quite different from the English equivalent. Instead of "I like something," the Italian construction literally means "Something is pleasing to me."

Understanding this "backwards" structure is key to using piacere correctly. The most common forms you'll hear are mi piace (I like it / I like him/her / I like to...) and mi piacciono (I like them). Mastering these forms is a fundamental goal in our Italian course curriculum.

Let's break down how `piacere` works and how to use its most common forms.

How Piacere Works: "To Be Pleasing To"

Forget "I like..." for a moment and think of `piacere` as meaning "to be pleasing to."

• The thing or person being liked is the **subject** of the verb `piacere`.
• The person who likes the thing is the **indirect object**.

Because the *thing* is the subject, the verb `piacere` will conjugate based on the number of the thing(s) being liked, not the person doing the liking. In the present tense, you will almost always use only two forms of `piacere`:

• piace: used when the subject (the thing being liked) is SINGULAR or is an INFINITIVE VERB.
• piacciono: used when the subject (the things being liked) are PLURAL.

The "liker" is indicated by an indirect object pronoun placed *before* `piacere`.

The Indirect Object Pronouns

These pronouns indicate *to whom* something is pleasing.

Note on "gli": While `gli` can mean "to him" or "to them," using `a loro` is often preferred for clarity when meaning "to them," especially in more formal contexts. However, `gli piacciono` is very common for "they like (plural things)".

Using Piace (with Singular Nouns or Infinitives)

When the thing you like is singular, use the structure: Indirect Object Pronoun + piace + Singular Noun / Infinitive.

Examples with Piace:

• Mi piace il gelato. (I like the ice cream. - "The ice cream is pleasing to me.")
• Ti piace questo film? (Do you like this film? - "Is this film pleasing to you?")
• Gli piace la musica classica. (He likes classical music. - "Classical music is pleasing to him.")
• Le piace viaggiare. (She likes to travel. / She likes traveling. - "Traveling is pleasing to her.")
• Le piace l'Italia? (Do you like Italy? - Formal, "Is Italy pleasing to you?")
• Ci piace leggere. (We like to read. / We like reading. - "Reading is pleasing to us.")
• Vi piace la vostra casa? (Do you like your house? - Plural 'you', "Is your house pleasing to you?")
• Gli piace il calcio. (They like football/soccer. - "Football is pleasing to them.")
  OR A loro piace il calcio.

Using Piacciono (with Plural Nouns)

When the things you like are plural, use the structure: Indirect Object Pronoun + piacciono + Plural Noun.

Examples with Piacciono:

• Mi piacciono i cani. (I like dogs. - "Dogs are pleasing to me.")
• Ti piacciono le vacanze al mare? (Do you like seaside holidays? - "Are seaside holidays pleasing to you?")
• Gli piacciono i libri gialli. (He likes mystery novels. - "Mystery novels are pleasing to him.")
• Le piacciono le città grandi. (She likes big cities. - "Big cities are pleasing to her.")
• Le piacciono questi fiori? (Do you like these flowers? - Formal, "Are these flowers pleasing to you?")
• Ci piacciono i musei. (We like museums. - "Museums are pleasing to us.")
• Vi piacciono i ristoranti italiani? (Do you like Italian restaurants? - Plural 'you', "Are Italian restaurants pleasing to you?")
• Gli piacciono i dolci. (They like sweets/desserts. - "Sweets are pleasing to them.")
  OR A loro piacciono i dolci.

Making it Negative: Non Mi piace / Non Mi piacciono

To say you *don't* like something, simply add the word non before the indirect object pronoun.

Examples of Negation:

• Non mi piace il freddo. (I don't like the cold.)
• Non ti piace cucinare? (Don't you like cooking?)
• Non gli piacciono i film d'azione. (He doesn't like action movies.)
• Non le piace la pioggia. (She doesn't like the rain.)
• Non Le piacciono i rumori forti? (Don't you like loud noises? - Formal)
• Non ci piace aspettare. (We don't like waiting.)
• Non vi piacciono queste scarpe? (Don't you like these shoes? - Plural)
• Non gli piacciono i compiti. (They don't like homework.)

Adding Emphasis or Clarity (A me, a te, etc.)

Sometimes, especially for emphasis or to clarify who is doing the liking (since `gli` can be ambiguous, or just for contrast), you can add the construction `a` + stressed pronoun (or noun) at the beginning of the sentence.

• A me piace la pizza. (I like pizza - emphasizing it's *me* who likes it)
• A te non piace? (You don't like it? - emphasizing 'you')
• A Maria piace il caffè. (Maria likes coffee.)
• A loro piacciono i viaggi. (They like travels - clarifying it's 'them')

The indirect object pronoun (`mi, ti, gli, le`, etc.) is still required even when using the stressed pronoun/noun phrase at the beginning.

Conclusion: Piacere is Your Key to Expressing Likes

Mastering the verb `piacere` and its structures (`mi piace`, `mi piacciono`, etc.) is essential for expressing likes and dislikes in Italian. Remember the core idea: the thing being liked is the subject, and the person doing the liking is the indirect object.

Practice is crucial. Use the tables above to help you form sentences about things you like or dislike. Listen for how native speakers use `piacere` in various contexts. Engaging in conversation-focused practice, like in our speaking-focused Italian classes and interactive online Italian classes, will solidify your understanding. For learners in India, our Italian language classes in Chennai offer valuable guidance.

Ready to confidently talk about what you enjoy in Italian?

Keep practicing with `piacere`, and soon you'll be expressing your preferences like a native speaker! In bocca al lupo! (Good luck!)