Mi Piace: How to Say “I Like” in Italian (Mi Piace, Non Mi Piace, Ti Piace?)
A0 · Lesson 24 · Mi piace
In Italian, you don’t like pizza. Pizza pleases you. Sounds odd? Give it five minutes.
Quick answer
“I like” in Italian is mi piace (mee PYAH-cheh), literally “it pleases me”: Mi piace la pizza. “I don’t like” is non mi piace. For two or more things, use mi piacciono: Mi piacciono i gatti (I like cats). Ask a friend Ti piace? and a stranger Le piace?
Mi piace: “it pleases me”
Learn it as one block. Two little words, and you can talk about everything you love.
Mi piace…
mee PYAH-cheh
I like… (literally: it pleases me)
Yes!Mi piace la pizza.
mee PYAH-cheh lah PEET-tsah
I like pizza. (Pizza pleases me.)
FoodMi piace il mare.
mee PYAH-cheh eel MAH-reh
I like the sea.
Places💡 In simple words
English: I like pizza. You are the boss of the sentence.
Italian: pizza pleases me. The pizza is the boss. That’s why it starts with mi (to me), not with io.
The rule
Always start with mi: Mi piace il caffè.
Never “io piace”. Io doesn’t go in this sentence at all.
Swap the thing you like:
Mi piace la pizza.
Try: il caffè (eel kahf-FEH, coffee) · la musica (lah MOO-zee-kah, music) · il calcio (eel KAHL-choh, soccer) · il mare (eel MAH-reh, the sea) · Roma
Non mi piace: “non” goes at the very start
To say you don’t like something, put non in front of everything. Nothing else changes.
Non mi piace.
nohn mee PYAH-cheh
I don’t like it.
No!Non mi piace il calcio.
nohn mee PYAH-cheh eel KAHL-choh
I don’t like soccer.
SportNon + mi + piace = the order never changes.
Not “mi non piace”. Non is always the first word.
Mi piacciono le carote. Mi piace il mare. Non mi piacciono i selfie. Clearly.
I like carrots. I like the sea. I don’t like selfies.
Ti piace? or Le piace? Asking someone
Same question, two versions: one for friends, one for everyone else. The voice goes up at the end.
🤗 A friend (tu)
Ti piace la pizza?
tee PYAH-cheh lah PEET-tsah · Do you like pizza?
Informal🤝 A stranger, a client, a waiter (Lei)
Le piace la pizza?
leh PYAH-cheh lah PEET-tsah · Do you like pizza?
PoliteUse the hug test: would you hug this person? Ti piace? Would you shake hands? Le piace?
The waiter asked me Le piace? I said yes with my mouth full. Very polite of both of us.
Mi piace or mi piacciono? One thing or more
Remember: the thing you like is the boss. If it’s one thing, piace. If it’s two or more, piacciono.
☝️ One thing → piace
Mi piace il gatto.
I like the cat.
Mi piace la pizza.
I like pizza.
✌️ Two or more → piacciono
Mi piacciono i gatti.
mee PYAHT-choh-noh ee GAHT-tee · I like cats.
Mi piacciono gli spaghetti.
I like spaghetti. (In Italian, spaghetti is plural: many strands!)
Pronunciation: piacciono has a double c: hold it a little. PYAHT-choh-noh, stress on PYAHT.
Two things together? Also plural: Mi piacciono la pizza e la pasta.
How to answer: a lot, not at all, so-so
Someone asks Ti piace? Pick your answer from the scale.
Sì, mi piace molto!
see, mee PYAH-cheh MOHL-toh
Yes, I like it a lot!
😍 Love itSì, mi piace tanto!
see, mee PYAH-cheh TAHN-toh
Yes, I like it so much! (same as molto)
😍 Love itCosì così.
koh-ZEE koh-ZEE
So-so.
😐 MehNo, per niente!
noh, pehr NYEHN-teh
No, not at all!
🙅 No wayWith two or more things, just switch: Sì, mi piacciono molto! · No, non mi piacciono per niente!
Ask back: E a te? Anche a me! A me no!
A conversation is ping-pong: answer, then ask back.
E a te?
eh ah TEH
And you? (friend)
InformalE a Lei?
eh ah LAY
And you? (polite)
PoliteAnche a me!
AHN-keh ah MEH
Me too! (I like it too)
SameA me no!
ah meh NOH
Not me! (I don’t like it)
DifferentWhy “a me” and not “io”? Because it’s still “to me”: the pizza pleases me too. Same logic as mi piace.
At a party in Bologna
Giulia
from Bologna
Ti piace la musica?
Do you like the music?
you
Sì, mi piace molto! E a te?
Yes, I like it a lot! And you?
Giulia
Anche a me! Ti piacciono le lasagne?
Me too! Do you like lasagna?
you
Sì, tanto! Ti piace il calcio?
Yes, so much! Do you like soccer?
Giulia
No, per niente! E a te?
No, not at all! And you?
you
Così così.
So-so.
Spot it: le lasagne is plural in Italian (many layers!), so Giulia says piacciono.
Common mistakes English speakers make
Io piace la pizza. → Mi piace la pizza.
Start with mi. “Io piace” sounds like “I pleases”.
Mi piace i gatti. → Mi piacciono i gatti.
Many cats = piacciono.
Mi non piace. → Non mi piace.
Non always comes first.
To the hotel receptionist: Ti piace Roma? → Le piace Roma?
A stranger gets the polite Le.
Italians say it all day: Che bello! Che buono!
😍 Che bello!
keh BEHL-loh · How nice! For a view, a dress, a plan, a photo of your dog.
😋 Che buono!
keh BWOH-noh · How tasty! For food. Say it at the table and the cook will love you.
Tip: Italians talk about food a lot. “Ti piace?” at the table is the start of a long, happy conversation.
Step 8 · Practice
🍕 Your turn
Start with a quick warm-up, then press Check. Want more? Open the extra exercises below. Mistakes are part of it. No pressure.
Warm-up · 5 questions
Piace or piacciono? One thing or more?
1. Mi ___ la pizza.
2. Mi ___ i gatti.
3. Ti ___ il mare?
4. Non mi ___ il calcio.
5. Le ___ gli spaghetti?
See more exercises · 40 questions ▾Hide the extra exercises ▴
1 · One or many?
Choose piace or piacciono.
1. Mi ___ il caffè.
2. Mi ___ i cani.
3. Ti ___ la musica?
4. Non mi ___ le lasagne.
5. Le ___ Roma?
6. Mi ___ la pizza e la pasta.
7. Mi ___ il gelato.
8. Ti ___ i gatti?
9. Non mi ___ il calcio.
10. Le ___ gli spaghetti?
2 · Ti piace or Le piace?
Who are you asking? Choose the right question.
1. Your best friend
2. A waiter you don’t know
3. Your sister
4. A hotel guest at the reception
5. Your new boss
6. A classmate your age
7. An older lady on the train
8. Your little cousin
3 · Right or wrong?
Is the sentence correct?
1. Io piace la pizza.
2. Non mi piace il caffè.
3. Mi non piace il mare.
4. Mi piacciono i cani.
5. Mi piace i gatti.
6. Signora, Le piace Firenze?
7. To a stranger at the bank: Ti piace Roma?
8. Ti piace la musica? – Sì, tanto!
4 · React!
Read the situation and choose the best answer.
1. Giulia: “Mi piace il mare!” You love the sea too.
2. Marco: “Mi piace il calcio!” You hate soccer.
3. You answered your friend. Now ask her back.
4. You answered a hotel receptionist. Now ask back.
5. Ti piace il caffè americano? You really don’t like it.
6. Le piace il gelato al pistacchio? It’s OK, nothing special.
5 · Write it in Italian
Type the sentence. Capital letters and punctuation don’t matter. No accent key? Type an apostrophe (caffe’).
1. I like the sea.
2. I don’t like soccer.
3. Do you like music? (to a friend)
4. Do you like pizza? (polite)
5. I like cats.
6. Me too! (I like it too)
7. And you? (to a friend)
8. No, not at all!
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Ci vediamo la prossima settimana! – Sì, alla prossima lezione! Ciao!
See you next week! – Yes, see you at the next lesson! Bye!
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Written by Luciana
Native Italian teacher, CEDILS certified, 10,000+ lessons since 2020.
