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Can you explain the difference between “mi piace” and “mi piacciono” in Italian?

11.06.2025 14:16

Can you explain the difference between “mi piace” and “mi piacciono” in Italian?

From discussion thus far you might already have understood that “mi piacciono" employs the third person plural form of the verb and translates as “they (understood) please me”, i.e. I like them.

Contrary to English “I like it", “mi piace” is not a personal expression with “I" as the subject. In Italian the subject and object are transposed — “mi piace" literally means “it pleases me". The verb is third person singular.

La veste mi piace. - I like the dress. (The dress pleases me).

How can the democrats say Mr. Trump is bad when he is already fixing this country again and he's not even president yet?

The direct object pronoun “mi" is the object of the verb “piacere" (to please). Also known as conjunctive, such pronouns generally precede the verb that governs them. The expression “mi piace", employing third person singular format, translates literally to English as “it (understood) pleases me", i.e. I like it.

A couple of examples:

The endings of verbs indicate person and number in Italian and subject pronouns may therefore be omitted except when necessary for clearness or emphasis. In the case of “it" and “they" (referring to things) they are almost never used.

Atheists who have read the Bible and think that contains immoral things, why do you assume that?

Le scarpe mi piacciono. - I like the shoes. (The shoes please me.)

Thank you for your question.