# piacere



## larosa

Ciao a tutti

I've just learned the use of the verb "piacere". There are a few sentences I tried to translate. I would like to know if my Italian sentences are correct or not, and what mistakes I made. 

_I like traveling._ = Mi piace viaggiare.
_I like to get to know new people and new cities._ = Mi piace incontrare il popoli nuovi e la cittá nuove.
_We didn't like the film yesterday evening._ = Ci non é piacuto il film ieri sera.
_He/She learns Italian, because he/she likes this language._ = Studia italiana, perché le/gli piace questa lingua.
_Do you like me?_ = Ti piaccio (io)?
_Yes, I like you, I like everybody._ = Sí, mi piaci, mi piacciono ognuno/tutti.

I found the next one very difficult, but I attempted to translate it. It took a long time.  

_It's not Peter she likes, but you._ = La piace non Peter, ma (la piaci) tu. 

Grazie in anticipo


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## giacinta

larosa said:
			
		

> Ciao a tutti
> 
> _It's not Peter she likes, but you._ = La piace non Peter, ma (la piaci) tu.


 
Non e' Peter che le piace--ma tu che le piaci.

????

Giacinta


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## raffaella

Non le piace Peter, le piaci tu

or

Non è Peter a piacerle, sei tu/ma tu

or

Non è Peter che le piace ma tu/sei tu

Raffaella


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## Max.89

> _I like traveling. = Mi piace viaggiare.
> I like to get to know new people and new cities. = Mi piace incontrare il popoli nuovi e la cittá nuove.(Mi piace conoscere nuove persone e nuove citta')
> We didn't like the film yesterday evening. = Ci non é piacuto il film ieri sera.(Non ci e' piaciuto il film ieri sera)
> He/She learns Italian, because he/she likes this language. = Studia italiana, perché le/gli piace questa lingua.(Studio l'italiano perche' gli/le piace questa lingua)
> Do you like me? = Ti piaccio (io)?
> Yes, I like you, I like everybody. = Sí, mi piaci, mi piacciono ognuno/tutti.(tutti is ok,ognuno is wrong)
> 
> I found the next one very difficult, but I attempted to translate it. It took a long time.
> 
> It's not Peter she likes, but you. = La piace non Peter, ma (la piaci) tu. _
> _More or less is correct,I'd say :Non le piace Peter,ma tu.
> _




_Your italian is pretty good._


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## larosa

Thanks for all the answers, and for the corrections, Max. If I spoke like that to an Italian person, (I mean with wrong word order), would they understand?


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## larosa

One more thing. In the 4th sentence you wrote "studio". Isn't that "I learn"?


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## Jana337

larosa said:
			
		

> One more thing. In the 4th sentence you wrote "studio". Isn't that "I learn"?


You are right; it must have been a typo.

Jana


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## Max.89

> Thanks for all the answers, and for the corrections, Max. If I spoke like that to an Italian person, (I mean with wrong word order), would they understand?


I think so.
The meaning should be understandable,but that person will understand that you aren't italian.


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## kualabanza

Hi all,

I'm having problems with 'piacere'.  Please could you check I'm using it correctly?  Thanks!

He doesn't like John. = Giovanni non gli piace.
John doesn't like him. = Gli non piace Giovanni.

Does using a noun or a pronoun make a difference to word order?

It's very confusing for me!

Matt


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## niall

It is confusing, because it's backwards compared to English. But you get used to it.

Your examples:

He doesn't like John. = Giovanni non gli piace  or Non gli piace Giovanni.
John doesn't like him. = (Lui) Non piace a Giovanni.


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## Carthusian cat

The sentences you wrote have the same construction, only the subjects and the objects change:

He doesn't like John. = Giovanni non gli piace = Giovanni (soggetto) non piace ( verbo) a lui (complemento di termine)

John doesn't like him. = Lui (sogg) non piace (verbo) a Giovanni (compl. termine).

The only difference is that when using a personal pronoun, you have to put it before the verb.

La torta non piace a Chiara
La torta non *mi/ti/gli/le/ci/vi* piace

Hope it helps


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## kualabanza

Thank you both... very helpful!

 Matt


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## photodp

Ciao!

So I have started to learn the word Piacere with Rosetta Stone, and I can't understand why they are using certain forms for certain reasons. It might just be too early, but it just doesn't make sense.

The issue is the use of  "piacciono" vs simply "piace".  The examples they are using are:

Al bambino non piacciono le carote.  (I thought it was "piace" but I was wrong.. why?)

Al bambino piace il calcio. (Given the previous example I thought it would be "piacciono" but it is not, why?)

Alla bambina piacciono i cavalli. (again, I assumed it would be piace.)

All'uomo piace il golf. (this one I got correct simply by guessing...)

Obviously there is a pattern here I think, but i can't understand what it is.  Can someone try to explain this to me please?

Grazie.


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## giacinta

The carrots are pleasing to the baby
Football is pleasing to the baby.
Horses are pleasing to the baby
golf is pleasing to the man.

the verb matches the subject in number.

a thing (singular subject) "piace" (pleases) (to) another
things (plural subject) "piacciono" (please) (to) another

This is not the strict grammatical analysis but hopefully it will  help you to remember!

Giacinta


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## photodp

Okay.  That makes sense.

Grazie!


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## Juggsie

I am struggling with the Italian usage of Piacere - very different to English. I understand (I think!) the indirect object (Mi. ti. gli etc) with third person singular or plural, but can't figure out when you conjugate Piacere:

per esempio: Vogliamo vedere "Otto e Mezzo", perché ci piacciamo Fellini. Or is it 'ci piace'?

I nostri amici vengono spesso in Italia perché gli piace? viaggiare o gli piacciono vaggiare?

A mia madre piacciono tutti i miei amici? (o piace?)
I have read most of the previous posts on this and am still confused - sorry to be so thick!

All help appreciated.

Grazie
Juggsie


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## MèngDié

Think of piacere as akin to "be a pleasure to", so the subject of the sentence is always the thing(s)/action (s) the person likes, and the verb (piacere) needs to be conjugated in accordance with the subject (plural or singular). Note that a verb in the infinitive used as the subject is always singular. 

We like Fellini = Fellini is a pleasure to us. Fellini is the subject, and singular, so piacere should be conjugated in the singular form = Ci piace Fellini. 
Our friends like to travel = Travel is a pleasure to our friends. Travel is the subject, and since viaggiare is a verb in the infinitive, piacere should be conjugated in the singular form = Gli piace viaggiare. 
My mother likes all my friends = All my friends are a pleaure to my mother. All my friends is the subject, and plural, so piacere should be conjugated in the plural form = A mia madre piacciono tutti i miei amici.

Once you know how to use piacere, it'll be no trouble to master the verb "gustar" in Spanish, which functions exactly the same way


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## Juggsie

Many thanks. I understand the pleasure concept, but still don't know when you would use piacciamo (we are pleased), oiaci, piacete etc - if ever!

Juggsie


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## MèngDié

Juggsie said:


> Many thanks. I understand the pleasure concept, but still don't know when you would use piacciamo (we are pleased), oiaci, piacete etc - if ever!
> 
> Juggsie



Piacciamo does not mean we are pleased, but rather we are a pleasure to someone else. You would use piacciamo when WE are the subject giving pleasure to someone else, i.e., someone else likes US. For example, Agli italiani piacciamo. Italians like us. Same logic goes for piacete.


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## Juggsie

Bingo - I've got it!!
Many thanks
Juggsie


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## AshleySarah

Ciao.  Just when I think I've got this off pat, I start having doubts again.  

Do both these sentences mean "He doesn't like John"?

Giovanni non gli piace. 
Agli non piace Giovanni.

If so, is one more correct, more natural or more elegant than the other?

Many thanks for any clarification you can give me.


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## King Crimson

AshleySarah said:


> Ciao. Just when I think I've got this off pat, I start having doubts again.
> 
> Do both these sentences mean "He doesn't like John"?
> 
> Giovanni non gli piace.
> Agli non piace Giovanni. This is ungrammatical, you could rather say "a lui non piace Giovanni", even though this option, in my opinion, has a slightly different meaning than the first option.
> 
> 
> 
> If so, is one more correct, more natural or more elegant than the other?
> 
> Many thanks for any clarification you can give me.


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## AshleySarah

KC, Grazie mille per il aiuto.  Devo studiare più.


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## Leo57

AshleySarah said:


> KC, Grazie mille per l'aiuto.  Devo studiare di più.



My heart goes out to you Sarah!  I know how you feel!  I've been quite brave making these changes, let's see if I have learned something!

Leo


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## AshleySarah

Leo thanks for your corrections and your sympathy.  It's so frustrating, but then it's so satisfying sometimes too.  I'll keep on trying.


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## giacinta

Dear fellow Australian,

I know it is difficult but what you have to remember is that in Italian -one thing pleases TO another, one person pleases TO another person.  So you have to always use the INDIRECT object pronoun.  I LIKE YOU = YOU ARE PLEASING TO ME.   Hence " tu mi piaci" "Queste  cose mi piacciano"- I like these things.  I like you - tu mi piaci.  You like me = io ti piaccio.  He likes it gli piace.  Just think this way and it is much easier.  
Jacinta


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## AshleySarah

Cara Jacinta,
Thank you so much for your help and support.  I really thought I had grasped it and then I read something and the doubts and confusion set in.  I do think of it as "he is pleasing to me", "carrots are pleasing to the baby", etc., but I think I need to revise the Direct and Indirect object pronouns and then go through the exercises again.  I'll try again tomorrow when I'm fresh. 

Grazie mille,
Sarah


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## King Crimson

Leo, Sarah, Jacinta,
I know it's a cold comfort, but I can assure you it's as difficult for us as it's for you when you try to think the other way round.


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## AshleySarah

KC, I'm not glad it's just as difficult for you, but it makes me feel "not so stupid" to know it's difficult for others too.  Thank you.


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## King Crimson

You're welcome


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