Expressing preferences (mi piace)

Expressing likes with "piacere"

In Italian, instead of saying "I like," you say that something "pleases me" using the verb piacere.

to please / to like
piacere

To express liking a singular object or activity, use mi (to me) followed by piace (it pleases).

Liking nouns

Use mi piace before a singular noun. Unlike in English, you almost always need a definite article (il, la, l') when talking about general categories you like.

I like ice cream a lot.
Mi piace molto il gelato.
I like art.
Mi piace l'arte.

Expressing dislikes

To say you do not like something, place non directly before mi.

I do not like cheese.
Non mi piace il formaggio.
I do not like ice cream, but I like chocolate.
Non mi piace il gelato, ma mi piace il cioccolato.

Liking actions

To say you like doing an activity, use mi piace followed directly by an infinitive verb (like disegnare or pescare).

I like studying history.
Mi piace studiare la storia.
I like to draw and paint.
Mi piace disegnare e dipingere.
I do not like to fish.
Non mi piace pescare.