How to Use 'Piacere' and Similar Verbs in Italian

Understanding 'Piacere'

In Italian, the verb piacere means "to please" and is used to express likes and preferences. Unlike in English, where subjects do things, in sentences with piacere, the object of the sentence becomes the subject.

The Structure of 'Piacere'

The basic structure of a sentence with piacere is: Subject (thing liked) + piacere (verb) + indirect object (person who likes). For example, "a me piace il gelato" translates to "I like ice cream", where 'il gelato' is the subject, 'piace' is the verb, and 'a me' is the indirect object.

Conjugation of 'Piacere'

Since piacere agrees with the object, its conjugation is often limited to third person singular and plural. This is because most sentences describe the action of liking an object or objects.

• Piace (singular)
• Piacciono (plural)

Similar Verbs to 'Piacere'

There are other verbs in Italian that function similarly to piacere, where the subject is the thing being liked or done, and the person involved is indicated by an indirect object.

Common verbs that behave like piacere include mancare (to miss), sembrare (to seem), and interessare (to interest).

Using Verb Prepositions

Prepositions play an important role in sentences with verbs like piacere. They indicate the indirect object-who is pleased or interested in the subject.