Learn Italian: Mi piace tanto la natura.

Mi piace tanto la natura.

I like nature a lot.

Breakdown of Mi piace tanto la natura.

tanto

so much, a lot / as (in comparisons)

Questions & Answers about Mi piace tanto la natura.

Wait, if I am the one who likes nature, why isn't the verb conjugated for "I"?

Because Italian expresses this idea backwards! Instead of saying "I like nature," you are actually saying "Nature is pleasing to me." Since la natura (nature) is the one doing the pleasing, we use the "it" form of the verb: piace. The word Mi simply means "to me."

Why is there a la before natura? In English we just say "I like nature."

In Italian, when you talk about general categories, abstract concepts, or broad things like "nature," "love," or "art," you almost always need to include a definite article (like il or la). So, you must say la natura rather than just natura.

Why is tanto placed right there in the middle of the sentence?

Words that describe how an action is done (like tanto or molto) usually go directly after the verb they are describing. Here, tanto (a lot) describes how much it pleases you (piace), so it sits right next to it: Mi piace tanto.

Could I say Mi piace molto la natura instead?

Yes, absolutely! When used right after a verb to mean "a lot," tanto and molto mean the exact same thing. You can choose whichever one you prefer.