How to Say I Like in Italian: Your Complete Guide
In this episode of The ItalianChat Experience, Sofia and I break down how to say “I like” in Italian: mi piace. We’ll cover pronunciation, how to make it negative, how to emphasize it, the tricky plural switch, and the bonus word Italians use when “like” just isn’t strong enough.
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How to Say I Like in Italian: Mi Piace
Mi piace (mee pee-AH-cheh) is the standard way to say “I like it” in Italian. But here’s the twist: it literally means “to me, it pleases.” The thing you like is doing the pleasing, and you’re on the receiving end.
Sounds strange in English, but it’s the Italian rhythm. And once you accept it, you can talk about anything: mi piace la pizza (I like pizza), mi piace Roma (I like Rome), mi piace la musica italiana (I like Italian music).
How to Pronounce Mi Piace
Piace is where people slip. Three syllables*: pee-AH-cheh. Stress on the middle — AH. And that “ce” at the end is a “cheh” sound, not “see.”
Put it together: mee pee-AH-cheh. Not “mee PYASS” or “mee pee-AY-see.” It’s mee pee-AH-cheh. Say that final “cheh” clearly and you’re already sounding Italian.
(*Quick note: I teach it as three syllables because it helps English speakers pronounce both vowels clearly. In fast native speech, the “ia” blends into one.)
Non Mi Piace and Mi Piace Tanto
Once you have mi piace, you can flex it two directions.
To say you DON’T like something, just add non in front: non mi piace (nohn mee pee-AH-cheh). Non mi piace la pizza fredda — I don’t like cold pizza.
To say you REALLY like something, add tanto or molto: mi piace tanto (mee pee-AH-cheh TAHN-toh) or mi piace molto (mee pee-AH-cheh MOHL-toh). Both mean “I really like it.” Interchangeable. Pick whichever rolls off your tongue.
📚 Related Resource: Test Your Italian
Want another fun way to practice? This quiz challenges you to recognize and use common Italian expressions for likes and dislikes.
Mi Piacciono: The Singular vs Plural Switch
Here’s where mi piace has a wrinkle most learners don’t catch at first. When the thing you like is plural, piace changes to piacciono.
Mi piace la pizza — singular pizza. One thing.
Mi piacciono le pizze — pizzas plural. Multiple things.
Mi piacciono i film italiani — I like Italian movies (plural).
Mi piacciono gli spaghetti — I like spaghetti (plural in Italian).
Pronunciation: mee pee-AH-choh-noh. Three syllables in piacciono: pee-AH-choh-noh. Once you notice the pattern, it becomes automatic — one thing = piace, more than one = piacciono.
How It Sounds in Real Life
In the episode, Sofia and I run through a quick restaurant scene. The waiter checks in on the meal:
Waiter: “Come e’ il piatto?” (How’s the dish?)
You: “Mi piace tanto! Mi piacciono anche gli spaghetti.” (I love it! I also love the spaghetti.)
In one line you’ve said you love the singular dish (mi piace tanto) AND the plural spaghetti (mi piacciono). Two phrases, two moves. Now you can talk about anything you like in Italian.
Suggested Activity: Italian Sentence Builder: Learn Italian Word Order
Adoro: When “Like” Isn’t Strong Enough
Sometimes mi piace doesn’t cut it. You don’t just LIKE the pizza — you love the pizza. For that, Italians use adoro (ah-DOH-roh) — “I adore.”
Adoro la pizza — I adore pizza.
Adoro Roma — I adore Rome.
Adoro il caffè italiano — I adore Italian coffee.
Important callback: from our “how to say I love you” episode, Italians don’t use amo (“I love”) for things. Amo is reserved for romantic love — for people. For pizza, cities, coffee, music, activities — you use adoro. Get this right and you sound like someone who actually understands the language.
Suggested Read: How to Say I Love You in Italian: Your Complete Guide
Quick Reference: Italian Preference Phrases
| Italian | Pronunciation | Meaning | When to Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mi piace | mee pee-AH-cheh | I like it | Singular thing you like |
| Mi piacciono | mee pee-AH-choh-noh | I like them | Plural things you like |
| Non mi piace | nohn mee pee-AH-cheh | I don’t like it | Singular thing you dislike |
| Non mi piacciono | nohn mee pee-AH-choh-noh | I don’t like them | Plural things you dislike |
| Mi piace tanto | mee pee-AH-cheh TAHN-toh | I really like it | Stronger preference |
| Mi piace molto | mee pee-AH-cheh MOHL-toh | I really like it | Same as above, interchangeable |
| Adoro | ah-DOH-roh | I adore / I love (for things) | When “like” isn’t strong enough |
Practice These Phrases Out Loud
Talking about what you like — that’s most of everyday conversation, in any language. If you want guided speaking practice where someone models the Italian first, gives you feedback, and helps you respond naturally — that’s exactly what Sofia Voice Coach does inside ItalianChat.
Sofia leads the conversation so you never freeze. She speaks first, you repeat, and she keeps you moving forward.
Go See It for Yourself: How to Practice a Lesson in ItalianChat
See Sofia Voice Coach in Action 👇
Full Episode Transcript
[00:00:05] Max: Ciao, Italian language learners! Welcome to another exciting episode of the Italian Chat Experience. I’m Max, your host, here with our Italian voice coach, Sofia. Are you ready for some Italian today, Sofia?
[00:00:21] Sofia: Ciao, Max. Always ready for some Italian. What’s on the agenda for today’s episode?
[00:00:27] Max: Today we’re covering one of the most useful phrases in the entire Italian language. This is the phrase you’ll use to talk about food, music, cities, wine, movies, literally anything you have an opinion about. We’re learning how to say “I like it” in Italian. So Sofia, how do you say “I like it” in Italian?
[00:00:50] Sofia: It’s mi piace. Mi piace. It literally means “to me, it pleases” — kind of backwards from English, but it’s the standard way Italians express liking something. Mi piace la pizza. I like pizza.
[00:01:04] Max: Let’s nail the pronunciation. That piace at the end is where people get tripped up.
[00:01:11] Sofia: Right. Piace is three syllables: pee-AH-cheh. Stress on the middle — AH. And that “ce” at the end is a “cheh” sound, not “see.” So the whole phrase is mee pee-AH-cheh. Mi piace.
[00:01:19] Max: OK so if I want to say I DON’T like something, how do I do that?
[00:01:25] Sofia: Just put “non” in front. Non mi piace. Non mi piace la pizza fredda — I don’t like cold pizza. Super easy. And if you want to say you REALLY like something, add tanto or molto. Mi piace tanto — I like it a lot. Or mi piace molto — I really like it. Both work.
[00:01:36] Max: Here’s where it gets a little tricky. What if I want to say I like MULTIPLE things — plural?
[00:01:43] Sofia: Then piace changes to piacciono. Mi piacciono. For plural things. So mi piace la pizza — singular pizza, mi piace. But mi piacciono le pizze — pizzas plural, mi piacciono. Or mi piacciono i film italiani — I like Italian movies. It’s mee pee-AH-choh-noh.
[00:01:58] Max: Let’s put it in real life. I’m at an Italian restaurant, the waiter just brought the food out, and I want to talk about what I like. Sofia, you be the waiter.
[00:02:11] Sofia: Come e’ il piatto? How’s the dish?
[00:02:15] Max: Mi piace tanto! Mi piacciono anche gli spaghetti.
[00:02:18] Sofia: Perfect! You just told me you love the dish AND you love the spaghetti. Mi piace tanto for the singular thing, mi piacciono for the plural. See how that works? Now you can talk about anything you like in Italian.
[00:02:26] Max: One more thing. What if I want to say I LOVE something — beyond just liking it? Like really, really love it.
[00:02:34] Sofia: For that, Italians use adoro. Adoro. It means “I adore” — and it’s the perfect way to talk about your love for things and activities. Adoro la pizza. Adoro Roma. Adoro il caffè italiano. Remember from an earlier episode — Italians don’t use amo for things. Amo is only for romantic love. For pizza, wine, cities, movies, it’s adoro.
[00:02:57] Max: Excellent. To wrap up, today we practiced mi piace for “I like” with a singular thing, mi piacciono for plural, non mi piace for “I don’t like,” mi piace tanto and mi piace molto for stronger preferences, and adoro for when you really love something. You can now talk about pretty much anything you have an opinion about in Italian. Grazie for listening! Visit LearnItalianPod.com for more resources and to explore ItalianChat, where you can practice real Italian conversations with Sofia. A presto!
[00:03:32] Sofia: A presto! Ciao a tutti!
