Modern Italian Grammar: A Practical Guide, Third Edition (2013)

Part B. Functions

III. Expressing emotions, feelings, attitudes and opinions

28. Indicating preference, likes and dislikes

28.1 Introduction

One of the communicative functions that you need to master in Italian is how to express likes, preferences, and, on occasions, dislikes. Some of the ways of expressing likes or dislikes are more appropriate for people, others for objects.

28.2 Expressing likes

28.2.1 Things and people, using piacere

Probably the commonest way of expressing likes or dislikes is to use the verb piacere (see 18.4.4) and an indirect object pronoun (see 3.4.2). Piacere means ‘to please’, so the English sentence ‘I like music’ becomes in Italian ‘Music is pleasing to me’ La musica mi piace. Since Italian word order is flexible, you can also say mi piace la musica. Whichever way round, the item or person giving pleasure is the grammatical subject of the sentence and the person receiving pleasure is the indirect object:

Mi piace la musica.

I like music.

To emphasise the person who likes music, you can use a stressed indirect object pronoun (see 3.3.2):

La musica piace a me.

Piacere is equally suitable for people, objects or activities. If the person or item liked is plural, the verb must be plural too:

Ci piace la pasta.

We like pasta.

Ci piacciono gli spaghetti.

We like spaghetti.

Piacere can be used in a full range of tenses and uses essere in all compound tenses:

Mi piaceva andare a trovare i nonni.

I liked going to see my grandparents.

Quella ragazza mi è piaciuta tanto.

I really liked that girl.

Mi piacerebbe andare in Sicilia.

I would like to go to Sicily.

The indirect object (the person receiving pleasure) can be a proper name or a noun governed by a:

A Marco piaceva andare in bicicletta.

Marco used to like going by bike.

II caldo piace solo alla gente che è in vacanza.

Only people who are on holiday like the heat.

Ai ragazzi italiani piacciono le magliette americane.

Italian kids like American T-shirts.

An unstressed indirect object pronoun (see 3.4.2), here indicated in bold italic, can be used in place of the person:

Come può piacerti una persona così superficiale?

How can you like such a superficial person?

Vi sono piaciuti i cannelloni fatti con spinaci?

Did you like the cannelloni made with spinach?

The following example uses the emphatic (stressed) form of indirect pronoun (see 3.3.2) to contrast and compare differing tastes:

A noi piaceva fare delle lunghe passeggiate, a loro piaceva stare fermi.

We liked going for long walks; they liked staying still.

Molto, tanto, poco, abbastanza

The extent of like or dislike can be indicated with an adverb of quantity such as molto ‘a lot’, tanto ‘a lot’, ‘so much’, poco ‘not very much’, ‘a little’, abbastanza ‘fairly’, ‘enough’, ‘sort of’, etc. (see also 6.3.5):

Mi piace molto questo paese.

I like this village a lot.

Gli piaceva tanto andare in barca.

He used to love going in the boat.

Ti piacciono queste scarpe?

Do you like these shoes?

Abbastanza.

Sort of.

28.2.2 Liking a person

Because likes and loves are a subject much discussed in everyday life, there is no shortage of phrases used to express them:

Ho conosciuto il nuovo insegnante; l'ho trovato molto simpatico.

I've met the new teacher; I found him very nice.

Amare and volere bene a can be used for any friendly or loving relationship, whether romantic or not:

Vogliamo bene a tutti i nostri figli.

We love all our children.

Ti amo più di ieri, meno di domani.

I love you more than yesterday, less than tomorrow.

(a romantic declaration often engraved on medallions and lockets)

Prendere la/una cotta always has a romantic/sexual connotation:

Pino mi ha telefonato di nuovo stasera; ha proprio preso una cotta.

Pino rang me again tonight; he's really got a crush on me.

28.2.3 Liking an object or activity

Apart from piacere, you can use one of the following expressions to say what you like or what you like doing:

Like piacere, andare (bene) can be used with an indirect object pronoun, referring to the person doing the liking, and either a noun or di and a verb infinitive, to say what he/she likes or likes doing:

Ti va bene questo posto?

Is this place all right for you?

Vi va di mangiare fuori stasera?

Do you feel like eating out tonight?

To talk about enjoyment, you can use verbs such as:

Divertirsi and godersi are pronominal verbs (see 2.1.10) which act like reflexives, in other words they are always used with the reflexive pronoun:

Vi siete divertiti a Londra?

Did you enjoy yourselves in London?

Ti diverti a giocare a carte?

Do you like playing cards?

Unlike true reflexive verbs, however, godere can also take a direct object, either noun (le vacanze) or direct object pronoun. The past participle can either agree with the direct object (as in the second example below) or with the grammatical subject (as in the first example below):

I ragazzi si sono goduti le vacanze al mare.

The boys enjoyed their holiday at the seaside.

Me la sono proprio goduta, la vacanza.

I really enjoyed it, the holiday.

▶ See also 3.4.8 on dislocation.

La vita è una sola. Goditela!

You've only got one life. Enjoy it!

28.3 Expressing dislikes

Most of the expressions conveying dislikes can be used equally for a person, object, event or activity.

28.3.1 Non … piacere

If you really don't like something or someone, you can say so just by using piacere and adding non:

Non mi è piaciuto il tuo comportamento.

I didn't like your behaviour.

Gli spinaci non piacevano ai ragazzi.

The boys didn't like spinach.

Al direttore non piace scrivere delle relazioni.

The manager doesn't like writing reports.

Non mi piacciono le persone maleducate.

I don't like bad-mannered people.

Note that dispiacere is not the exact opposite of piacere; it does not mean ‘to dislike’. It expresses a polite request, as in Ti dispiace passarmi il sale? ‘Would you mind passing me the salt?’, or an apology, as in Mi dispiace ‘I am sorry’ (literally: ‘It is displeasing to me’) (see 20.7).

Dispiacere uses a construction similar to that of piacere; the indirect pronoun mi, ti, gli, etc. (see 3.4.2) indicates the person who is apologising:

Scusi, mi dispiace disturbarla.

Excuse me, I'm sorry to disturb you.

28.3.2 Conveying mild dislike

Sometimes it is better to be tactful and tell someone that you ‘don't like something very much’ by using the adverb poco (see 6.3.5):

The adverb abbastanza (see 6.3.5, 28.2.1) expresses a distinct lack of enthusiasm:

28.3.3 Other expressions of dislike

Trovare antipatico is normally used to refer to a person, expressed as direct object of trovare:

Trovo il mio capo proprio antipatico.

I find my boss really disagreeable.

The verb (non) andare (bene) is normally used with an object or activity and can be followed by a noun or by di and an infinitive:

Non mi va il tuo comportamento.

I don't like your behaviour.

Non le va di uscire stasera.

She doesn't feel like going out this evening.

It is occasionally used to refer to a person:

Non gli va bene Marco al posto di Giorgio.

He's not happy about Marco (being) in place of Giorgio.

28.3.4 Conveying strong dislike

Here are some stronger ways of conveying dislike, of a person or object:

Non sopporto il mio collega, lo trovo proprio antipatico.

I can't bear my colleague, I find him really unpleasant.

II direttore non poteva vedere Berlusconi.

The manager couldn't stand Berlusconi.

Mio padre detesta i fannulloni.

My father detests layabouts.

Non mi piacciono le vongole. Mi fanno effetto.

I don't like clams. They make me want to throw up.

Vedere le mosche sulla carne mi ha fatto schifo.

Seeing the flies on the meat made me feel sick.

Odio gli spinaci.

I hate spinach.

28.4 Expressing a preference

To express a preference, you can use piacere, with (di) più ‘more’ or (di) meno ‘less’:

Noi andiamo al mare quest'estate, ma ci piacerebbe di più andare in montagna.

We're going to the sea this summer, but we would prefer to go to the mountains.

Secondo un sondaggio recente sui personaggi famosi, sono i politici che piacciono di meno alla gente.

According to a recent survey on famous people, it's the politicians who are the least liked by people.

You can also use preferire ‘to prefer’, followed by a noun or a verb infinitive:

I professori preferiscono gli studenti che si impegnano di più.

Lecturers prefer students who are more committed.

Oggi si preferisce mangiare meno carne, più verdura e frutta fresca.

Today people prefer eating less meat, more vegetables and fresh fruit.