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

15.06.2025 03:15

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

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

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.

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.

Why is squid ink safe to eat, while skunk spray is not? What makes the two liquids different from each other?

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

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:

Do interviewers discriminate against a candidate if he or she is overweight (assuming physical fitness is NOT part of the job requirements)?

Thank you for your question.

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.