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Questions & Answers about Мне нравится эта тарелка.
What is the literal structure of Мне нравится эта тарелка, and how does it differ from the English I like this plate?
Literally, Мне нравится эта тарелка means “To me pleases this plate.” Russian expresses liking by saying that something “pleases” someone. The person who likes is in the dative case (Мне = “to me”), the verb is нравится (“pleases”), and the thing liked is the nominative subject (эта тарелка).
Why is Мне used instead of Я?
In Russian, the experiencer of an emotion or sensation is put in the dative case, not the nominative. So instead of saying “Я нравлюсь…,” you say “Мне нравится…,” literally “it is pleasing to me.”
Why is the verb нравится in the 3rd person singular form?
Because grammatically эта тарелка is the subject of the verb. The verb agrees with тарелка (a singular feminine noun), so you use 3rd person singular нравится (“pleases”), not a form for я or ты.
What case is эта тарелка, and how do we know that?
Эта тарелка is in the nominative case. It’s the grammatical subject of the verb нравится (the thing doing the “pleasing”). Both words agree in gender (feminine) and number (singular): эта (fem. nom. sing.) + тарелка (fem. nom. sing.).
How would you form the negative: “I don’t like this plate”?
Insert не before the verb: Мне не нравится эта тарелка. Word order can remain the same: the negation attaches to нравится.
How do you say “You like this plate” in Russian?
Change the dative pronoun to тебе (informal) or вам (formal/plural):
- Тебе нравится эта тарелка.
- Вам нравится эта тарелка.
Is word order flexible in Мне нравится эта тарелка?
Yes, you can swap the dative phrase and the subject for emphasis:
- Эта тарелка нравится мне. Putting эта тарелка first can emphasize “this plate” rather than the experiencer. However, Мне нравится эта тарелка is the most neutral, natural order.