gli piace
The Italian phrase for 'he likes' is gli piace.
The phrase is used to express that someone finds something pleasant or appealing.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, gli piace translates to 'to him it is pleasing'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of the verb changes depending on what he likes. Use gli piace when the object being liked is a singular noun or an uncountable concept. If the things he likes are plural, you must use gli piacciono instead.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly say lui piace instead of gli piace. In Italian, you must use the indirect object pronoun gli (to him) to form this expression.
Did you know?
- If a person likes something so much it becomes an obsession, an Italian might say gli piace da morire, which literally translates to 'he likes it to the point of dying'.
- Because piacere functions like 'to be pleasing', the phrase gli piace can be used to describe a person's romantic attraction to someone else, not just a preference for a thing.
- The word piacere is used to form the Italian equivalent of the English greeting 'nice to meet you', as in piacere di conoscerti.
Examples in context
- Gli piace il tè.He likes tea.This sentence is useful for expressing a preference for a singular drink with gli piace.Tatoeba #1118828 by Guybrush88, translation #1098268 by cntrational
- Gli piace il jazz.He likes jazz.This sentence is useful for expressing a preference for a musical genre with gli piace.Tatoeba #2851602 by Guybrush88, translation #2851591 by Amastan
- Gli piace la neve.He likes snow.This sentence is useful for expressing a preference for a weather phenomenon with gli piace.Tatoeba #4202325 by Guybrush88, translation #2858649 by Amastan
- Gli piace la musica italiana.He likes Italian music.
- Gli piace nuotare nel mare.He likes swimming in the sea.
- A lui piace il calcio.He likes football.
- A lui piace leggere romanzi.He likes reading novels.
- Gli piace il gelato.He likes ice cream.
- Gli piace la pizza.He likes pizza.
- 297 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chiara and Matteo are talking about Matteo's brother.
- ChiaraA tuo fratello piace questo libro?Does your brother like this book?
- MatteoSì, gli piace molto leggere.Yes, he likes reading very much.
- ChiaraGli piace anche questo autore?Does he like this author too?
- MatteoSì, gli piace ogni suo racconto.Yes, he likes every story of his.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
