Introduction to Piacere

The verb piacere means "to like" in Italian and differs from English verbs in that it focuses on the thing being liked rather than the person doing the liking. Here’s how it functions:

Understanding Piacere

In Italian, piacere is conjugated according to the subject (the thing being liked), not the person who likes it. The person who likes something is indicated by an indirect object pronoun. Here's a breakdown:

Forms of Piacere with Indirect Object Pronouns

Indirect Object Pronoun	Italian Example	English Translation
Mi	Mi piace il gelato.	I like ice cream. (Literally, "To me pleases ice cream.")
Ti	Ti piace il film?	Do you like the movie? (Literally, "To you pleases the movie?")
Gli/Le	Gli piace il libro.	He/She likes the book. (Literally, "To him/her pleases the book.")
Ci	Ci piacciono i concerti.	We like the concerts. (Literally, "To us please the concerts.")
Vi	Vi piacciono i film.	You all like the movies. (Literally, "To you all please the movies.")
Gli	Gli piacciono le canzoni.	They (m) like the songs. (Literally, "To them pleases the songs.")

Difference Between Piace and Piacciono

The verb *piacere* changes depending on whether the subject (the thing being liked) is singular or plural. Here’s how it works:

• Piace: Used when the subject is singular.
• Example: "Mi piace il gelato." (I like ice cream. The subject is "ice cream," which is singular.)
• Piacciono: Used when the subject is plural.
• Example: "Ci piacciono i concerti." (We like the concerts. The subject is "concerts," which is plural.)

Why Use Indirect Object Pronouns?

The reason we use "ci" and not "noi" with *piacere* relates to how the verb functions:

• Indirect Object Pronoun Use: "Ci" is the indirect object pronoun for "we" (to us), indicating that the liking or pleasure is experienced by us. Using "noi" would refer to "we" as the grammatical subject, not the indirect object.
• Conjugation of Piacere: The verb *piacere* is conjugated to agree with the subject (the thing being liked), not the person who likes it. For example:
• Singular Subject: "Ci piace il film." (We like the movie. The subject is "film," which is singular.)
• Plural Subject: "Ci piacciono i concerti." (We like the concerts. The subject is "concerts," which is plural.)

Summary

• The subject of piacere is the thing being liked, so the verb is conjugated to agree with that subject.
• The indirect object pronoun reflects who is affected by the liking, not the grammatical subject.
• Using the correct pronoun ensures the sentence accurately represents who likes what.