mi piace
The Italian phrase for "I like it" is mi piace.
mi piace is used to express that you find something pleasant or appealing.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "it pleases me", where mi means "to me" and piace is the third-person singular form of the verb piacere (to please).
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb must agree with the thing you like. If the thing you like is plural, you must change the verb to the third-person plural form mi piacciono to mean "I like them".
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying io piace or io piaccio to mean "I like". In Italian, the thing being liked is the subject of the sentence, rather than the person doing the liking.
Did you know?
- In a social setting, if you say piaccio instead of piace, you are suddenly the one being described as the attractive or pleasing person.
- Because the verb expresses how something affects you, saying mi piaci is a common way to tell someone 'I like you' in a romantic or very fond way.
- The pronoun mi in mi piace comes from the Latin word mihi, which is the dative form of 'me'.
Examples in context
- Sì, mi piace molto.Yes, I like it very much.This sentence shows how to express liking something very much using mi piace.Tatoeba #716049 by Guybrush88, translation #35528 by CK
- Mi piace così tanto.I like it so much.This sentence demonstrates expressing a high degree of liking with mi piace.Tatoeba #1452632 by Guybrush88, translation #1452631 by CM
- Oh, è figo. Mi piace.Oh, it's cool. I like it.This sentence shows a conversational way to use mi piace to express that something is cool.Tatoeba #2960528 by Guybrush88, translation #2960513 by Hybrid
- Ho visitato il Louvre a Parigi. Mi piace molto!I visited the Louvre in Paris. I like it a lot!
- Il tuo nuovo ristorante mi piace davvero.I really like your new restaurant.
- Quel film mi piace tantissimo.I like that movie very much.
- La tua casa mi piace tantissimo.I really like your house.
- Ho provato la pizza napoletana autentica. Mi piace un sacco!I tried authentic Neapolitan pizza. I like it a lot!
- Il tuo nuovo acquisto mi piace un sacco.I really like your new purchase.
- Quella canzone mi piace da morire!I absolutely love that song!
- Quel ragazzo mi piace da morire.I really like that guy.
- Quel libro mi garba molto.I really like that book.
- Il tuo stile di vestire mi garba.I like your dressing style.
- 41 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Francesco and Chiara are looking at a new painting in a gallery.
- FrancescoGuarda questo quadro, ti piace?Look at this painting, do you like it?
- ChiaraSì, mi piace molto lo stile.Yes, I really like the style.
- FrancescoAnche a me piace molto.I like it a lot too.
- ChiaraÈ davvero un'opera bellissima.It is truly a beautiful work.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries mi, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
