Mindkettő tetszik: az egyik váza, a másik gyertyatartó.

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Breakdown of Mindkettő tetszik: az egyik váza, a másik gyertyatartó.

• tetszeni: to like
• mindkettő: both
• egyik: one

Questions & Answers about Mindkettő tetszik: az egyik váza, a másik gyertyatartó.

How does tetszik work in this sentence?

Hungarian often expresses to like with tetszik, which literally works more like to please.

So Mindkettő tetszik is literally closer to Both are pleasing or Both please me.

A few important points:

• the things liked are the grammatical subject
• the person who likes them can be added as nekem = to me
• here nekem is simply omitted because it is understood from context

So:

• Mindkettő tetszik. = I like both.
• literally: Both please me.

Why is tetszik used here instead of szeretem?

Because tetszik is the normal choice for saying that you find something appealing, attractive, nice, or to your taste.

Compare:

• tetszik = I like it / it appeals to me
• szeretem = I love it, I’m fond of it, I like it in a deeper or more habitual sense

With objects like decorations, clothes, pictures, furniture, etc., tetszik is very common:

• Tetszik ez a váza. = I like this vase.
• Tetszik ez a ruha. = I like this dress.

If you used szeretem, it would usually sound stronger or more personal.

Why is it and not plural , if means ?