Logo

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

Last Updated: 29.06.2025 07:22

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

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

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.

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.

I Tracked My Glucose Levels With My Favorite Fitness Tracker. These 3 Takeaways Surprised Me - CNET

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

Thank you for your question.

A couple of examples:

Why cant I feel anything in my sleep? I cannot even feel myself moving, breathing, and swallowing saliva! I cannot even hear anything, not even my alarm! Some people that I've been with says that I'm moving a lot in my sleep, how can I stop it?

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.

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.