The Italian verb piacere is used to express what someone likes, but it works differently from the English verb to like. In English, we say I like pizza, with the person as the subject of the sentence. In Italian, the structure is closer to saying Pizza is pleasing to me. This means that the thing you like determines the form of the verb, while the person who likes it is expressed with a small word such as mi or ti. For example, mi piace la pizza means I like pizza, even though the Italian sentence is built differently. Understanding this difference is the key to using piacere correctly in everyday conversation.
How Piacere Works
In the present tense, the two most important forms are piace and piacciono. Use piace with a singular noun or a verb in the infinitive, and piacciono with a plural noun. For example, mi piace il libro means I like the book, while mi piacciono i libri means I like books. The verb agrees with the thing or person being liked, not with the person expressing the preference. When talking about an activity, piacere is followed by a verb in the infinitive, and piace is used: mi piace leggere means I like reading. This makes it possible to talk about preferences for objects, people, and activities using the same basic construction.
To show who likes something, Italian uses mi for io, ti for tu, gli for lui, le for lei, Le for formal Lei, ci for noi, vi for voi, and gli for loro. These words indicate the person who likes something and normally come before piace or piacciono. The same construction can be used in questions and negative sentences. To say that you do not like something, place non before the pronoun, as in non mi piace. Questions use the same basic construction.
Mi piace il gelato. — I like ice cream.
Mi piacciono le mele. — I like apples.
Ti piace cucinare? — Do you like cooking?
Non mi piace il caffè. — I don't like coffee.
Similar Constructions
A few other Italian verbs follow a pattern similar to piacere. One common example is mancare (to miss), as in mi manchi (I miss you). Another useful verb is servire (to need), as in mi serve una penna (I need a pen). Like piacere, these verbs use a pronoun to indicate the person who experiences the feeling or need, while the verb agrees with the person or thing involved. Learning this basic pattern makes these common expressions easier to understand.
Summary of Piacere in the Present Tense
| Person who likes | Pronoun | Singular thing or activity | Plural things |
| I | mi | mi piace | mi piacciono |
| you (informal) | ti | ti piace | ti piacciono |
| he | gli | gli piace | gli piacciono |
| she | le | le piace | le piacciono |
| you (formal) | Le | Le piace | Le piacciono |
| we | ci | ci piace | ci piacciono |
| you (plural) | vi | vi piace | vi piacciono |
| they | gli | gli piace | gli piacciono |