What does it mean word for word?
The word piacere literally means "pleasure" or "to be pleasing".
Which one should you use?
The single word piacere is used for the initial introduction, whereas piacere di conoscerti is a more complete sentence used in slightly more formal or explicit contexts.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase piacere di conoscerti uses the informal second-person singular pronoun ti, making it appropriate for people of similar age or social standing. To say "nice to meet you" in a formal setting, you should use piacere di conoscerla to address the person with the formal Lei form. If you are being introduced to a group of people, you use the form piacere di conoscervi.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of piacere is /pjaˈtʃe.re/. It has three syllables and the stress is on the second syllable.
When do people say it?
When someone says piacere to you, a natural and polite response is piacere mio, which means "the pleasure is mine".
Did you know?
- In Italian, the verb piacere works like 'to be pleasing' rather than 'to like'. When you say you like something, the object is actually the one doing the action of pleasing you.
- Because piacere comes from the Latin 'placēre', it shares an ancient root with the English word 'please'.
- In very formal business introductions, Italians may accompany the word piacere with a firm handshake and direct eye contact to signal professional respect.
Examples in context
- Piacere di conoscerti, Ken.Nice to meet you, Ken.This sentence shows how to use piacere in an informal greeting.Tatoeba #2780699 by Guybrush88, translation #267038 by CP
- È stato un piacere conoscervi entrambi.It was nice to meet you both.This sentence shows how to use piacere when addressing multiple people.Tatoeba #9672120 by Nuel, translation #9649614 by CK
- Altrettanto, mi ha fatto piacere conoscerti.Likewise, it was nice to meet you.This sentence shows a response using piacere to say it was nice to meet someone.Tatoeba #10592002 by Valdast, translation #1119452 by daywo
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lorenzo and Sofia are introduced at a party.
- LorenzoCiao, io sono Lorenzo. Piacere!Hi, I am Lorenzo. Nice to meet you!
- SofiaCiao Lorenzo, io sono Sofia. Piacere mio.Hi Lorenzo, I am Sofia. My pleasure.
- LorenzoDi dove sei, Sofia?Where are you from, Sofia?
- SofiaSono di Roma, e tu?I am from Rome, and you?
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry piacere, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries piacere, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
