Мені справді подобається ця книга.

Because Ukrainian uses a different pattern with подобатися.

With подобатися, the person who experiences the feeling goes in the dative case, so:

• мені = to me
• тобі = to you
• йому / їй = to him / to her

So Мені подобається ця книга is literally closer to:

• This book is pleasing to me

That is why you do not say Я подобаюся ця книга for I like this book.

Because the verb agrees with ця книга, not with мені.

In this sentence:

• мені = the person who likes it
• ця книга = the thing that is liked

Since книга is:

• singular
• feminine
• nominative

the verb is in third person singular: подобається

Compare:

• Мені подобається ця книга. = I like this book.
• Мені подобаються ці книги. = I like these books.

Notice that with plural книги, the verb becomes подобаються.

Because ця книга is the grammatical subject of the sentence, so it stays in the nominative case.

That may feel strange to an English speaker, because in English this book looks like the object of like. But with подобатися, Ukrainian structures it differently:

• This book pleases me

So:

• ця книга = nominative subject
• мені = dative experiencer

If you used цю книгу, that would be the accusative form, which would fit verbs like читати:

• Я читаю цю книгу. = I am reading this book.

Both can be translated as to like/love, but they are not used in exactly the same way.

Подобатися usually means:

• to be pleasing to
• to like

It is very common for talking about preferences:

• Мені подобається ця книга. = I like this book.
• Мені подобається музика. = I like the music.

Любити usually means:

• to love
• sometimes to like very much
• also to enjoy doing something regularly

Examples:

• Я люблю тебе. = I love you.
• Я люблю читати. = I love reading.
• Я люблю цю книгу. = I love this book.

So in your sentence, подобається is a natural choice for I like this book.

Справді means really, truly, or indeed.

So:

• Мені подобається ця книга. = I like this book.
• Мені справді подобається ця книга. = I really like this book.

It adds emphasis and sincerity.

One nuance: in everyday speech, if you want to emphasize degree, Ukrainians also often use дуже:

• Мені дуже подобається ця книга. = I like this book very much.

So:

• справді = really / truly
• дуже = very much

Both are possible, but they emphasize slightly different things.

Yes. Ukrainian word order is flexible, and справді can move for emphasis.

For example:

• Мені справді подобається ця книга.
• Справді, мені подобається ця книга.
• Ця книга мені справді подобається.

These versions are all understandable, but the emphasis shifts a little.

The version you have is very natural and neutral.

No, not as fixed as in English.

The neutral order is:

• Мені справді подобається ця книга.

But you could also hear:

• Ця книга мені справді подобається.
• Мені ця книга справді подобається.

Ukrainian often changes word order to highlight old vs. new information, contrast, or emphasis.

For an English speaker, the safest default is to keep the original order unless you have a reason to change it.

Usually, you should keep it.

Unlike English, where I is built directly into I like, Ukrainian needs the dative pronoun to show who likes the thing:

• Мені подобається ця книга. = I like this book.

If you remove мені, you get:

• Справді подобається ця книга.

This can sound incomplete unless the context already makes it obvious who is being talked about.

So for learners, it is best to include мені.

The ending -ся is a common Ukrainian reflexive marker.

In many verbs, -ся does not translate directly as English self. It is simply part of the verb and must be learned with it.

So you should learn the whole verb as:

• подобатися = to be pleasing / to appeal / to be liked

In the sentence:

• подобається = present tense, third person singular of подобатися

Also note that -ться at the end is common in writing, though in speech it is pronounced more simply.

Because English I like and Ukrainian мені подобається both express a current, ongoing opinion.

So Ukrainian uses the present tense:

• подобається = is pleasing / is liked

This is the normal way to say that you like something now or in general.

A very common form is:

• Мені сподобалася ця книга.

This uses сподобатися, which is the perfective partner of подобатися.

A useful contrast is:

• Мені подобається ця книга. = I like this book. / I am finding this book enjoyable.
• Мені сподобалася ця книга. = I liked this book. / I ended up liking this book.

In the past tense, the verb agrees with книга, so you get the feminine form:

• сподобалася

Often, yes, depending on what you mean.

• дуже emphasizes degree: I like it a lot
• справді emphasizes genuineness: I really do like it

So:

• Мені дуже подобається ця книга. = I like this book very much.
• Мені справді подобається ця книга. = I really like this book.

Both are natural. The original sentence is perfectly fine, but an English speaker should know that really in English can correspond to either справді or дуже, depending on the nuance.

Then the verb would also become plural.

Compare:

• Мені подобається ця книга. = I like this book.
• Мені подобаються ці книги. = I like these books.

Changes:

• ця книга → ці книги
• подобається → подобаються

This is a very important pattern, because the verb agrees with the thing liked.