🍕 Italian: Mi piace... (Saying What You Like)

To say you like something in Italian, you say mi piace: Mi piace la pizza. It means “I like pizza.”

Piacere really means “to be pleasing”. Mi piace la pizza means, word for word, “pizza is pleasing to me”. So the verb changes with the thing you like, not with you. English does it the other way round!

When the thing you like is just one, you say mi piace: Mi piace il gelato. Mi piace la musica.

When you like more than one thing, you say mi piacciono: Mi piacciono i gatti. Mi piacciono le fragole.

One thing goes on one side, many things on the other. The rule is short: one → piace, many → piacciono. Can you choose too?

If you like doing something, that is, if a verb like disegnare (to draw) comes next, you always say mi piace: Mi piace disegnare. Mi piace nuotare e leggere.

To say you do not like something, put non at the start: Non mi piace la pioggia. I do not like rain. It works the same with many things: Non mi piacciono i ragni.

To ask someone, say ti piace…?: Ti piace il gelato? Do you like ice cream? The answer is Sì, mi piace! or No, non mi piace. With many things: Ti piacciono i gatti?

Summary: mi piace for one thing or a verb, mi piacciono for many things. For no, non goes first. For a question: ti piace…? Now try it in Ciao Roma!