Learn Italian: Ti piacciono queste caramelle?

Ti piacciono queste caramelle?

Do you like these candies?

Breakdown of Ti piacciono queste caramelle?

Questions & Answers about Ti piacciono queste caramelle?

Why do we use piacciono here instead of piace?

In Italian, the verb piacere works backwards compared to English. You are actually saying 'These candies are pleasing to you.' Since caramelle (candies) is plural, the verb must also be the plural form, piacciono.

What does the Ti at the start of the sentence do?

Ti means 'to you' (singular, informal). Together with the verb, Ti piacciono literally means 'are pleasing to you,' which is how Italians express 'you like' for multiple things.

Why is the word for 'these' spelled queste instead of questi?

Words like 'this' and 'these' have to match the gender and number of the noun they describe. Caramelle is feminine plural, so we must use the feminine plural word for 'these', which is queste.

How can I tell that caramelle is a feminine noun?

Most Italian words ending in -e are plural feminine words if their singular form ends in -a. The singular word for candy is caramella, which makes caramelle a regular feminine plural.