Lesson 14.1: What Do You Like? – Using Mi piace and Friends 💬☕ #
Let’s be honest: if you’re going to live, travel, or talk to Italians, you’ll need to say more than “hello.”
You’ll need to say what you like, what you love, and maybe… what you never want to see again. Ever.
Meet the Star: Piacere ⭐ #
In Italian, we don’t say “I like pizza.”
We say:
Mi piace la pizza.
(Literally: Pizza is pleasing to me.)
It’s a little backwards, like Italian driving. But once you get used to it, it makes sense!
Basic Structure #
| Italian | English Translation |
|---|---|
| Mi piace il caffè. | I like coffee. |
| Non mi piace la pioggia. | I don’t like rain. |
| Ti piace la musica? | Do you like music? |
| Ci piacciono i gelati. | We like ice creams. |
Singular vs. Plural #
- Mi piace → for singular things
Mi piace il gelato.
- Mi piacciono → for plural things
Mi piacciono i gelati.
And yes, Italians really do care if it’s one or more gelati. 🍨
Expressions You’ll Hear #
- Mi piace molto. → I really like it.
- Non mi piace affatto. → I don’t like it at all.
- Anche a me! → Me too!
- A me no. → Not me. (used to disagree politely)
Geoff & Viktor at the Café ☕️ #
Viktor: Ti piace il cappuccino?
Geoff: Sì, mi piace molto!
Viktor: Anche a me!
Geoff: Ma non mi piace il tè…
Viktor: A me sì! Io lo adoro!
As you can see, opinions vary. And that’s okay — even among espresso lovers.
Coming up next: Exercise 14.1 — Let’s find out what you like. (And practice those sneaky verb forms!)