Mi piace la colonna sonora del film.

I like the movie’s soundtrack.

Breakdown of Mi piace la colonna sonora del film.

• io: I
• piacere: to like
• del: of
• il film: the movie
• la colonna sonora: the soundtrack

Questions & Answers about Mi piace la colonna sonora del film.

What does Mi piace literally mean and how does this structure work?

Mi piace is made up of the indirect object pronoun mi (to me) and the third-person singular form piace of the verb piacere (to please). Literally it means “it pleases me,” but in practice we use it to say “I like [something].”
• To like multiple things you switch to piacciono:
– Mi piacciono i film = “I like films.”

Why is piace singular here and not piacciono?

With piacere, the verb agrees with the thing you like (the subject), not with you. Here la colonna sonora is singular, so you use piace. If the subject were plural, e.g. le colonne sonore, you’d say Mi piacciono le colonne sonore.

What is the function of mi, and why don’t we say Io piace?

Mi is the indirect object pronoun meaning “to me.” In Italian you normally drop the subject pronoun (io) because the verb ending already shows who is acting. Saying Io piace would be ungrammatical—piace needs an indirect object pronoun, not a subject pronoun.

Why is there a definite article la before colonna sonora in this sentence?

In Italian, singular feminine nouns generally require a definite article. Colonna is feminine, so you say la colonna sonora. Omitting the article would sound unnatural or incorrect in this context.

What does colonna sonora literally mean, and is it idiomatic for soundtrack?

Literally, colonna sonora means “sound column” (colonna = column, sonora = sound). It’s the standard Italian term for soundtrack.

Why del film instead of just di film, and what’s going on with del?

Del is the contraction of di + il. Since film is masculine singular and takes il, di + il film becomes del film (“of the film”). Saying di film without an article would imply “of films” in a generic sense.

Can I change the word order to La colonna sonora del film mi piace?

Yes. Italian word order is flexible. Both
• Mi piace la colonna sonora del film
• La colonna sonora del film mi piace
are correct and mean “I like the film’s soundtrack.” The slight shift in emphasis doesn’t change the overall meaning.

How would I say “I really liked the soundtrack” in Italian?

Use the passato prossimo of piacere, with agreement:
• Mi è piaciuta la colonna sonora del film. (“The soundtrack pleased me.”)
To add intensity you can say:
• Mi è piaciuta moltissimo la colonna sonora del film.
Or in the present tense for “I really like”:
• Mi piace tantissimo la colonna sonora del film.