Italian for Beginners: Giving Simple Opinions About Movies and Books
Learn elementary Italian phrases to say whether you liked a movie or book and give one simple reason, using mi è piaciuto/a and perché.
By LiamCulture & nuance · Yapr Learn
In this lesson you will learn to give a simple opinion about a movie or a book in Italian. The core structure is mi è piaciuto (I liked it) for a movie or a book, and mi è piaciuta for feminine nouns like la storia or la commedia. You add a reason with perché (because). You will also learn to say you did not like something and to ask another person what they thought. All examples use standard contemporary Italian.
By the end, you can…
- say whether I liked or did not like a movie or a book.
- give one simple reason using perché.
- ask another person what they thought of a movie or a book.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Mi è piaciuto il film.
I liked the movie.
mee eh pyah-CHOO-toh eel FEELM
Use piaciuto with masculine nouns such as il film, il libro, il finale.
Mi è piaciuta la storia.
I liked the story.
mee eh pyah-CHOO-tah lah STOH-ryah
Use piaciuta with feminine nouns such as la storia, la commedia, la serie.
Non mi è piaciuto, perché era noioso.
I did not like it, because it was boring.
nohn mee eh pyah-CHOO-toh, pehr-KEH EH-rah noh-YOH-zoh
Put non before mi to make the opinion negative. Noioso agrees with a masculine noun.
Mi è piaciuto perché era interessante.
I liked it because it was interesting.
mee eh pyah-CHOO-toh pehr-KEH EH-rah een-teh-reh-SAHN-teh
Interessante ends in -e and stays the same for masculine and feminine.
Che cosa ne pensi?
What do you think of it?
keh KOH-zah neh PEHN-see
Ne means 'of it' and refers back to the movie or book you are discussing.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The pattern is: Mi è piaciuto/a + noun, perché + reason. The verb piacere works differently from English 'to like'. The thing you like is the subject, so the ending changes: Mi è piaciuto il libro (masculine), Mi è piaciuta la storia (feminine). For a plural subject use Mi sono piaciuti i personaggi or Mi sono piaciute le scene.
When to use it
Use these phrases in informal conversation with friends, family or classmates. To ask about the other person, change mi to ti: Ti è piaciuto il film? To talk about a third person, use gli for a man and le for a woman: Gli è piaciuto il libro. In a more formal situation, use Le è piaciuto il film? with the polite pronoun Le.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Ieri ho visto un film italiano. Ti è piaciuto?
Yesterday I saw an Italian movie. Did you like it?YEH-ree oh VEES-toh oon FEELM ee-tah-LYAH-noh. tee eh pyah-CHOO-tohSì, mi è piaciuto molto, perché era divertente.
Yes, I liked it a lot, because it was funny.see, mee eh pyah-CHOO-toh MOHL-toh, pehr-KEH EH-rah dee-vehr-TEHN-tehE il libro? Ti è piaciuto?
And the book? Did you like it?eh eel LEE-broh? tee eh pyah-CHOO-tohNo, non mi è piaciuto, perché era noioso.
No, I did not like it, because it was boring.noh, nohn mee eh pyah-CHOO-toh, pehr-KEH EH-rah noh-YOH-zohA little context goes a long way
Italians often soften a negative opinion with a short phrase before the criticism, for example Era interessante, però... (It was interesting, but...). Direct negative statements are normal among friends, but with acquaintances or in a work setting, adding a positive comment first sounds more polite. Regional speech varies, but these standard forms are understood everywhere.
One thing to watch for
Saying Io ho piaciuto il film to mean 'I liked the movie'.
Try this instead: Piacere does not work like the English verb 'to like'. Say Mi è piaciuto il film. The thing liked is the subject, and mi means 'to me'. If the subject is feminine, use Mi è piaciuta la storia.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'I liked the book' in Italian?
Show a sample answer
Mi è piaciuto il libro.
Il libro is masculine singular, so the participle is piaciuto. Mi è piaciuta il libro is incorrect because the participle must agree with the subject.
2How do you say 'I did not like the series, because it was boring'?
Show a sample answer
Non mi è piaciuta la serie, perché era noiosa.
La serie is feminine singular, so use piaciuta and noiosa. The negative non goes before mi.
3How do you ask a friend 'Did you like the movie?'
Show a sample answer
Ti è piaciuto il film?
Change mi to ti for 'you' in an informal question. In a formal context, Le è piaciuto il film? is also correct.
Use mi è piaciuto/a for 'I liked it', add perché plus one simple reason, and make the participle agree with the movie, book, story or series you are talking about.
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