come
/ˈko.me/
The Italian word for 'like' (in the sense of comparison) is come.
come is used to express similarity or to compare one person or thing to another.
Which one should you use?
Use come when you are making a comparison. Do not use the verb piacere for this. piacere is used to express liking something (to like).
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ˈko.me/. It has 2 syllables, with the stress on the 1st syllable.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use the verb piacere (to like) when they intend to use the preposition come (like) for a comparison.
Did you know?
- In certain Italian dialects and informal speech, people might use the word tipo to mean 'like' in the sense of 'for example' or 'sort of'. This is similar to the English filler 'like'.
- The phrase come se is used to create a 'as if' scenario, which triggers the use of the subjunctive mood in the following verb, a grammatical requirement not found in English.
- The ancestor of come is the Latin word quōmodo, which originally meant 'in what manner' or 'how'.
Examples in context
- Non è come me.You're not like me.This sentence shows how to use come to negate a comparison.Tatoeba #4758411 by Guybrush88, translation #3732990 by CK
- Lei è come lei?Are you like her?This sentence uses come to ask if one person is similar to another.Tatoeba #1611580 by Guybrush88, translation #662934 by CH
- Io ero come te.I used to be like you.This sentence demonstrates using come to describe a past state of similarity.Tatoeba #2484425 by Guybrush88, translation #2192538 by Hybrid
- Mi piace cucinare, come te!I like cooking, like you!
- Sono veloce come un fulmine!I am fast like lightning!
- Mi piace il caffè.I like coffee.
- Mi piace fare sport.I like doing sports.
- Mi piace la tua gentilezza.I like your kindness.
- Mi piace mangiare in buoni ristoranti.I like eating in nice restaurants.
- Siamo simili.We're alike.
- Questa città è come un labirinto.This city is like a labyrinth.
- 2169 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Matteo and Sofia are looking at a photo of a new puppy.
- MatteoÈ bello come un leone.He is handsome like a lion.
- SofiaSì, ma è piccolo come una pallina.Yes, but he is small like a little ball.
- MatteoÈ veloce come il vento.He is fast like the wind.
- SofiaÈ davvero un cucciolo speciale.He is truly a special puppy.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry come, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries come, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
