Learn Hardcore Italian: Scopro cosa piace al mio amico.

In Italian, piacere works like “to please”: the thing being liked is the subject. Here cosa (“what”) is singular, so the verb stays in 3rd-person singular: piace.

Why do we say al mio amico instead of il mio amico or just mio amico?

With piacere, the person who experiences the liking is an indirect object introduced by a. You combine a + il = al, giving al mio amico (“to my friend”).

Can we use che cosa instead of cosa here?

Yes. cosa and che cosa are interchangeable in indirect questions. So Scopro che cosa piace al mio amico is equally correct.

Why isn’t there a conjunction like che before cosa?

Italian indirect questions with interrogative pronouns (cosa, chi, dove, etc.) don’t need che. You simply follow the main verb (scoprire) with the pronoun + the subordinate verb.

What’s the difference between scoprire and sapere in this sentence?

Scoprire = “to find out/discover” something previously unknown, focusing on the moment of discovery.
Sapere = “to know” as a state of having information.
So Scopro cosa piace… emphasizes that you’re finding out. So cosa piace… just states the knowledge.

How would you replace al mio amico with a pronoun?

Use the indirect object pronoun gli (for “to him”) before piace:
Scopro cosa gli piace.

Could you say Scopro al mio amico cosa piace instead?

That word order is unusual for an indirect question and sounds awkward. The standard is
scoprire + cosa + verb + complement
→ Scopro cosa piace al mio amico.

Why isn’t there a comma before cosa?

Italian does not place a comma before an indirect question introduced by cosa, chi, dove, etc. The subordinate clause follows immediately without punctuation.