The Verb "Piacere" (To Like) in Italian

Overview

In Italian, expressing what you like works very differently from English. Instead of saying "I like pizza," Italian flips the sentence: the thing you like becomes the subject, and you become the indirect object. The literal translation of "Mi piace la pizza" is closer to "Pizza is pleasing to me."

This reverse construction is one of the most important structures to master at the A1 level. Once you understand it, you unlock the ability to talk about preferences, tastes, and interests — essential topics in everyday conversation.

The verb piacere mainly uses just two forms: piace (singular — when you like one thing or an action) and piacciono (plural — when you like multiple things). The person who likes something is expressed with an indirect object pronoun placed before the verb.

How It Works

The core structure is: indirect object pronoun + piace/piacciono + thing liked

Indirect Object Pronouns with Piacere

Pronoun	Meaning	Example with piace	Example with piacciono
mi	to me	Mi piace il caffè.	Mi piacciono i gatti.
ti	to you (informal)	Ti piace la musica?	Ti piacciono le fragole?
gli	to him	Gli piace cucinare.	Gli piacciono i film.
le	to her	Le piace leggere.	Le piacciono i fiori.
Le	to you (formal)	Le piace il vino?	Le piacciono le olive?
ci	to us	Ci piace viaggiare.	Ci piacciono le vacanze.
vi	to you (plural)	Vi piace la scuola?	Vi piacciono i libri?
gli	to them	Gli piace ballare.	Gli piacciono le feste.

When to use piace vs piacciono

• Piace — with a singular noun or an infinitive verb: Mi piace il gelato. / Mi piace nuotare.
• Piacciono — with a plural noun: Mi piacciono le lingue.

With infinitive verbs

When you like doing something, always use piace (singular), even if you list multiple activities: Mi piace cantare e ballare.

Examples in Context

Italian	English
Mi piace la pizza.	I like pizza.
Ti piace il calcio?	Do you like football?
Gli piace la cioccolata.	He likes chocolate.
Le piace cucinare.	She likes cooking.
Ci piace l'Italia.	We like Italy.
Vi piace questa canzone?	Do you like this song?
Mi piacciono i cani.	I like dogs.
Ti piacciono le mele?	Do you like apples?
Non mi piace il freddo.	I don't like the cold.
Non ci piacciono gli esami.	We don't like exams.
Mi piace molto leggere.	I really like reading.
Le piace viaggiare in treno.	She likes travelling by train.
A Marco piace la musica jazz.	Marco likes jazz music.
A Maria piacciono i gatti neri.	Maria likes black cats.

Using "a + name/noun" for clarity

When you want to specify who likes something by name, use a + name: A Giovanni piace il tennis. (Giovanni likes tennis.) This replaces or reinforces the indirect pronoun.

Common Mistakes

Using "io" as the subject

• Wrong: Io piaccio la pizza.
• Right: Mi piace la pizza.
• Why: "Io piaccio" means "I am pleasing (to someone)." The thing you like is the subject, not you. You are the indirect object (mi, ti, gli...).

Wrong agreement with plural nouns

• Wrong: Mi piace i gatti.
• Right: Mi piacciono i gatti.
• Why: Since "i gatti" is plural, the verb must be plural too — piacciono.

Confusing "gli" (to him) and "le" (to her)

• Wrong: Gli piace la torta. (when talking about a woman)
• Right: Le piace la torta.
• Why: "Gli" means "to him" (or "to them"), while "le" means "to her." Match the pronoun to the person who likes something.

Using piacciono with infinitives

• Wrong: Mi piacciono nuotare e correre.
• Right: Mi piace nuotare e correre.
• Why: With infinitive verbs (actions), always use piace, even when listing multiple activities.

Forgetting the article after piace/piacciono

• Wrong: Mi piace pizza.
• Right: Mi piace la pizza.
• Why: Italian nouns used in a general sense require the definite article.

Practice Tips

1. Think backwards. When you want to say "I like X," mentally flip it: "X is pleasing to me." This helps you choose the correct verb form (piace for singular/infinitive, piacciono for plural).

2. Make a preference list. Write down ten things you like and ten you don't. Practice forming sentences with both piace and piacciono, and with different pronouns (mi, ti, gli, ci...).

3. Listen for it. In Italian songs, shows, and podcasts, piacere appears constantly. Notice how native speakers never say "io piaccio" for "I like" — they always use the indirect pronoun + piace/piacciono construction.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Regular -ARE Verbs — understand standard verb conjugation before tackling piacere's special pattern