Introduction to Impersonal Verbs
In Italian, certain verbs like piacere (to like), mancare (to miss), bastare (to be enough), servire (to need), and interessare (to interest) work differently from English. The main difference is that these verbs focus on the thing being liked, needed, or missed (the **subject**), while the person affected is expressed by an **indirect object pronoun** (e.g., "mi," "ti," "gli").
Conjugation Tables: Singular and Plural Objects
Below are conjugation tables showing how these verbs change based on whether the **object** (thing being liked, missed, etc.) is singular or plural. Each verb is shown with different pronouns (mi, ti, gli, etc.) to clarify how to use them for different people.
Piacere (to like)
| Pronoun |
Singular Object Example |
Plural Object Example |
| Mi |
Mi piace il libro. (I like the book) |
Mi piacciono i film. (I like the movies) |
| Ti |
Ti piace il libro? (Do you like the book?) |
Ti piacciono i film? (Do you like the movies?) |
| Gli/Le |
Gli piace il libro. (He likes the book) |
Gli piacciono i film. (He likes the movies) |
| Ci |
Ci piace il libro. (We like the book) |
Ci piacciono i film. (We like the movies) |
| Vi |
Vi piace il libro? (Do you all like the book?) |
Vi piacciono i film? (Do you all like the movies?) |
| Gli (they) |
Gli piace il libro. (They like the book) |
Gli piacciono i film. (They like the movies) |
Mancare (to miss)
| Pronoun |
Singular Object Example |
Plural Object Example |
| Mi |
Mi manca il sole. (I miss the sun) |
Mi mancano i miei amici. (I miss my friends) |
| Ti |
Ti manca il sole? (Do you miss the sun?) |
Ti mancano i tuoi amici? (Do you miss your friends?) |
| Gli/Le |
Gli manca il sole. (He misses the sun) |
Gli mancano i suoi amici. (He misses his friends) |
| Ci |
Ci manca il sole. (We miss the sun) |
Ci mancano i nostri amici. (We miss our friends) |
| Vi |
Vi manca il sole? (Do you all miss the sun?) |
Vi mancano i vostri amici? (Do you all miss your friends?) |
| Gli (they) |
Gli manca il sole. (They miss the sun) |
Gli mancano i loro amici. (They miss their friends) |
Bastare (to be enough)
| Pronoun |
Singular Object Example |
Plural Object Example |
| Mi |
Mi basta un’ora. (One hour is enough for me) |
Mi bastano due euro. (Two euros are enough for me) |
| Ti |
Ti basta un’ora? (Is one hour enough for you?) |
Ti bastano due euro? (Are two euros enough for you?) |
| Gli/Le |
Gli basta un’ora. (One hour is enough for him) |
Gli bastano due euro. (Two euros are enough for him) |
| Ci |
Ci basta un’ora. (One hour is enough for us) |
Ci bastano due euro. (Two euros are enough for us) |
| Vi |
Vi basta un’ora? (Is one hour enough for you all?) |
Vi bastano due euro? (Are two euros enough for you all?) |
| Gli (they) |
Gli basta un’ora. (One hour is enough for them) |
Gli bastano due euro. (Two euros are enough for them) |
Servire (to need)
| Pronoun |
Singular Object Example |
Plural Object Example |
| Mi |
Mi serve una penna. (I need a pen) |
Mi servono le sedie. (I need the chairs) |
| Ti |
Ti serve una penna? (Do you need a pen?) |
Ti servono le sedie? (Do you need the chairs?) |
| Gli/Le |
Gli serve una penna. (He needs a pen) |
Gli servono le sedie. (He needs the chairs) |
| Ci |
Ci serve una penna. (We need a pen) |
Ci servono le sedie. (We need the chairs) |
| Vi |
Vi serve una penna? (Do you all need a pen?) |
Vi servono le sedie? (Do you all need the chairs?) |
| Gli (they) |
Gli serve una penna. (They need a pen) |
Gli servono le sedie. (They need the chairs) |
Interessare (to interest)
| Pronoun |
Singular Object Example |
Plural Object Example |
| Mi |
Mi interessa la storia. (I am interested in history) |
Mi interessano i libri. (I am interested in books) |
| Ti |
Ti interessa la storia? (Are you interested in history?) |
Ti interessano i libri? (Are you interested in books?) |
| Gli/Le |
Gli interessa la storia. (He is interested in history) |
Gli interessano i libri. (He is interested in books) |
| Ci |
Ci interessa la storia. (We are interested in history) |
Ci interessano i libri. (We are interested in books) |
| Vi |
Vi interessa la storia? (Are you all interested in history?) |
Vi interessano i libri? (Are you all interested in books?) |
| Gli (they) |
Gli interessa la storia. (They are interested in history) |
Gli interessano i libri. (They are interested in books) |
Understanding Singular vs. Plural Objects
The verb conjugates differently based on whether the **object** is singular or plural:
- **Singular Object:** Use the **third person singular** form of the verb.
- **Plural Object:** Use the **third person plural** form of the verb.
Examples with Singular Objects:
- Piacere: "Mi piace il libro." (I like the book)
- Mancare: "Mi manca il sole." (I miss the sun)
- Bastare: "Ti basta un’ora?" (Is one hour enough for you?)
- Servire: "Mi serve una penna." (I need a pen)
- Interessare: "Ti interessa la storia?" (Are you interested in history?)
Examples with Plural Objects:
- Piacere: "Mi piacciono i film." (I like the movies)
- Mancare: "Mi mancano i miei amici." (I miss my friends)
- Bastare: "Ti bastano due euro?" (Are two euros enough for you?)
- Servire: "Mi servono le sedie." (I need the chairs)
- Interessare: "Ti interessano i libri?" (Are you interested in books?)
Why Use Indirect Object Pronouns?
These verbs use **indirect object pronouns** because the action happens **to someone**, not **by** someone. The person affected is represented by the indirect object pronoun (e.g., "mi" for me, "ti" for you), while the verb conjugates based on the **subject** (the thing liked, needed, or missed).
Summary
- The **subject** of the verb is the thing being liked, needed, or missed, which determines the conjugation (singular or plural).
- The **indirect object pronoun** (mi, ti, gli, etc.) reflects the person experiencing the action.
- Use **third person singular** for singular subjects and **third person plural** for plural subjects.