Lesson 14.3: Love It, Hate It – Talking About Strong Preferences ❤️🤢 #

Okay, you’ve learned how to say “I like pizza.”
But what if you really like something? Or, on the other hand, you want to politely (or dramatically) say: “I hate it.”

Welcome to the world of emotional preferences — where Italian gets a little more theatrical. 🎭

Meet the Verbs #

💖 Amare – To Love #

Use amare for stronger affection or passion — people, hobbies, food you’d marry if it were legal.

• Amo il caffè. → I love coffee.
• Amo viaggiare in Italia. → I love traveling in Italy.
• Non amo molto il calcio. → I’m not a big fan of football.

😡 Odiare – To Hate #

Sometimes… you just can’t pretend.

• Odio il traffico. → I hate traffic.
• Odio svegliarmi presto. → I hate waking up early.
• Non odio il formaggio, ma neanche lo amo. → I don’t hate cheese, but I don’t love it either.

Be careful: Italians are expressive, but hate is still a strong word — use it like hot pepper: just enough.

Common Expressions for Reactions #

🎭 Geoff & Viktor’s Deeply Personal Opinions #

Scene: In the kitchen. Viktor is cooking. Geoff is sniffing the air suspiciously.

Geoff: Che profumo… è zuppa?
Geoff: What’s that smell… is it soup?

Viktor: Sì, è la zuppa di cavolo! La amo!
Viktor: Yes, it’s cabbage soup! I love it!

Geoff: La odiavo da bambino. E… penso di odiarla ancora. 😬
Geoff: I hated it as a kid. And… I think I still hate it. 😬

Viktor: Ma dai! È buonissima!
Viktor: Come on! It’s delicious!

Geoff: Non per me. Preferisco il pane.
Geoff: Not for me. I prefer bread.

Viktor: Davvero? Il pane??
Viktor: Really? Bread??

Geoff: È la mia passione. ❤️
Geoff: It’s my passion. ❤️

Try It Yourself #

Use these verbs to describe:

• A food you love
• A food you hate
• Something you really enjoy doing
• Something you never want to do again

Coming up next: Exercise 14.3 — Let’s see what you love, what you hate, and where you stand on cabbage soup.