piace
Wordform Details
Translation: to liketo please
Part of Speech: verb
Inflection Type:
third-personsingularpresentindicativeIs Dictionary Form: No
Dictionary Form Details
Lemma: piacere
Translation: to please; to be pleasing; to like; to enjoy; pleasure (verb)
Etymology: From Latin 'placēre' meaning 'to please, be agreeable'. The Latin root 'plac-' is found in English words like 'placate' (to soothe), 'placid' (calm, peaceful), and 'complacent' (self-satisfied). The evolution from Latin to Italian shows a typical sound change where 'pl-' becomes 'pi-', as seen in other words like 'pieno' (full) from Latin 'plenus'.
Example Usage
Mi piace il gelato.
I like ice cream. (Literally: Ice cream pleases me.)
Ti piace la musica classica?
Do you like classical music? (Literally: Does classical music please you?)
Piacere di conoscerti.
Nice to meet you.
Se ti piace, puoi prenderlo.
If you like it, you can take it.
Questo film non mi è piaciuto.
I didn't like this movie. (Literally: This movie didn't please me.)
Mnemonics
- Think of 'placate' in English - when you please someone, you placate them.
- The word sounds a bit like 'pleasure' which is its noun form in English.
- Remember the phrase 'mi piace' (I like it) literally means 'it pleases me' - the thing you like is doing the pleasing.
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Antonyms
Example Wordforms
Cultural Context
In Italian culture, 'piacere' is used in a distinctive way that differs from English. While in English we say 'I like something', in Italian the construction is reversed: 'Something pleases to me' (Qualcosa mi piace). This reflects a cultural perspective where experiences happen to people rather than people actively controlling them. Also used as a greeting when meeting someone for the first time, simply saying 'Piacere' (Pleasure) is equivalent to 'Nice to meet you'.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: While 'piacere' means 'to please' or 'to like', 'dispiacere' means 'to displease' or 'to be sorry'. They are opposite in meaning but similar in construction.
This word:
Mi piace questo libro.
I like this book.
Confused word:
Mi dispiace per il ritardo.
I'm sorry for the delay.
Notes: Both verbs use the same indirect construction where the person experiencing the feeling is in the dative case (mi, ti, gli, etc.).
Mnemonic: 'Dis-' is a negative prefix in both Italian and English, so 'dispiacere' negates the meaning of 'piacere'.
Explanation: This is actually the past participle of 'piacere', not a separate lemma, but learners often confuse it with the infinitive form.
Confused word:
Mi è piaciuto il film.
I liked the movie.
Notes: The past participle 'piaciuto' is used with auxiliary 'essere' to form perfect tenses.
Mnemonic: Think of '-uto' as the Italian equivalent of '-ed' for this verb - 'piaciuto' means 'pleased' or 'liked'.