Нравиться (to like) in Russian

Overview

The verb нравиться (to like/to be pleasing) is one of the most frequently used verbs in Russian, but its grammar works opposite to English. Instead of "I like this book," Russian says "This book is pleasing to me" -- the liked thing is the grammatical subject, and the person who likes it goes into the dative case. At the A1 level, mastering this reversed construction is essential for expressing preferences, opinions, and tastes.

The verb agrees with the thing being liked (the grammatical subject), not with the person doing the liking. If you like one thing, use нравится (singular); if you like multiple things, use нравятся (plural). The person goes into the dative case: мне (to me), тебе (to you), ему (to him), ей (to her).

This construction contrasts with любить (to love), which works like a normal transitive verb: Я люблю кофе (I love coffee). The distinction between нравиться and любить is roughly "like/find pleasing" versus "love/have strong affection for."

How It Works

Construction

Dative + нравится/нравятся + Nominative (the liked thing)

Dative Pronoun	Meaning
мне	to me (I like)
тебе	to you (you like, informal)
ему	to him (he likes)
ей	to her (she likes)
нам	to us (we like)
вам	to you (you like, formal/plural)
им	to them (they like)

Agreement

• Singular subject: Мне нравится эта книга. (I like this book.)
• Plural subject: Мне нравятся эти книги. (I like these books.)
• Infinitive subject: Мне нравится читать. (I like to read.)

Past Tense

The past tense agrees in gender/number with the liked thing:

• Мне нравился фильм. (I liked the film. -- masculine)
• Мне нравилась книга. (I liked the book. -- feminine)
• Мне нравилось место. (I liked the place. -- neuter)
• Мне нравились люди. (I liked the people. -- plural)

Examples in Context

Russian	English	Note
Мне нравится эта книга.	I like this book.	Singular subject
Тебе нравятся эти цветы?	Do you like these flowers?	Plural subject
Ему не нравится погода.	He doesn't like the weather.	Negation
Мне нравилось там жить.	I liked living there.	Past, infinitive subject
Ей нравится музыка.	She likes music.	Feminine dative
Нам нравится этот город.	We like this city.	Plural "we"
Вам нравится русская кухня?	Do you like Russian cuisine?	Formal question
Мне очень нравится!	I like it very much!	With intensifier
Им не нравятся эти фильмы.	They don't like these films.	Negative, plural
Детям нравится играть.	Children like to play.	Noun in dative

Common Mistakes

Making нравиться agree with the person instead of the liked thing

• Wrong: Мне нравлюсь эта книга. (first person verb with "I")
• Right: Мне нравится эта книга. (third person, agrees with книга)
• Why: The liked thing is the grammatical subject, not the person doing the liking.

Using nominative instead of dative for the liker

• Wrong: Я нравится эта книга.
• Right: Мне нравится эта книга.
• Why: The person who likes goes into the dative case (мне, not я).

Confusing нравиться and любить

• Wrong: Using them interchangeably
• Right: Мне нравится кофе (I like coffee -- preference) vs. Я люблю кофе (I love coffee -- strong affection)
• Why: Нравиться is milder (like/enjoy); любить is stronger (love/adore). They also have different grammatical structures.

Practice Tips

• Practice expressing likes about everything around you: Мне нравится этот город, мне нравится эта музыка, мне нравятся эти люди.
• Drill the dative pronouns in this construction until automatic: мне нравится, тебе нравится, ему нравится...

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Personal Pronouns (Nominative) -- understanding pronouns before learning their dative forms