How to Say 'I Like' and 'I Don't Like' Foods in Italian
Learn the Italian verb piacere to express food preferences: mi piace, mi piacciono, non mi piace, and how to use them with common foods.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
To talk about foods you enjoy in Italian, you do not use a verb that means 'to like' in the same way as English. Instead, you use the verb piacere, which literally means 'to be pleasing.' The food is the subject, and you are the person who receives the pleasure. This is why you say mi piace la pizza (to me, pizza is pleasing) rather than 'io piaccio la pizza.' In this lesson you will learn the two most useful forms, mi piace and mi piacciono, how to make them negative with non, and how to use them with everyday foods. You will also learn to avoid a common beginner error and to recognize a polite alternative used in some regions.
By the end, you can…
- say that I like a singular food using mi piace.
- say that I like plural foods using mi piacciono.
- say that I do not like a food using non mi piace or non mi piacciono.
- ask another person whether they like a food using ti piace or ti piacciono.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Mi piace la pizza.
I like pizza.
mee PYAH-cheh lah PEET-tsah
Use with a singular food or a food treated as a mass noun, such as pizza, pasta, or riso.
Mi piacciono le mele.
I like apples.
mee PYAH-cho-no leh MEH-leh
Use with plural foods, such as mele, pomodori, or biscotti.
Non mi piace il pesce.
I don't like fish.
non mee PYAH-cheh eel PEH-sheh
Add non before mi piace to make it negative. Use with a singular or mass food.
Non mi piacciono le cipolle.
I don't like onions.
non mee PYAH-cho-no leh CHEE-pol-leh
Negative form with a plural food. The non goes before mi piacciono.
Ti piace il cioccolato?
Do you like chocolate?
tee PYAH-cheh eel chok-ko-LAH-toh
A simple yes-or-no question. Rising intonation is enough; no extra question word is needed.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The pattern is indirect object pronoun + piacere + food. The pronoun tells who experiences the pleasure: mi (to me), ti (to you), gli (to him), le (to her), ci (to us), vi (to you all), gli (to them). Then choose piace for one thing or piacciono for more than one thing. Examples: Mi piace la pasta. Mi piacciono i pomodori. Non mi piace il formaggio. Non mi piacciono le olive. The verb agrees with the food, not with the person.
When to use it
Use mi piace when the food is singular or uncountable in Italian: mi piace il pane, mi piace la carne, mi piace il caffè. Use mi piacciono when the food is plural: mi piacciono le fragole, mi piacciono i funghi. If you are naming several different foods, Italian normally repeats the verb: mi piace la pizza e mi piace la pasta. When the items are treated as a combined plural idea, use the plural verb: mi piacciono la pizza e la pasta. In everyday speech, mi piace is the safer default when you are unsure.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Ti piace la cucina italiana?
Do you like Italian cooking?tee PYAH-cheh lah koo-CHEE-nah ee-tah-LYAH-nahSì, mi piace molto. Mi piacciono soprattutto le lasagne.
Yes, I like it a lot. I especially like lasagna.see, mee PYAH-cheh MOL-toh. mee PYAH-cho-no so-prat-TUT-toh leh lah-ZAH-nyehE il pesce? Ti piace?
And fish? Do you like it?eh eel PEH-sheh? tee PYAH-chehNo, non mi piace il pesce, ma mi piacciono i gamberi.
No, I don't like fish, but I like shrimp.noh, non mee PYAH-cheh eel PEH-sheh, mah mee PYAH-cho-no ee GAM-beh-reeA little context goes a long way
In standard Italian, mi piace is the normal way to express food preferences. In some regions, especially parts of the south, you may hear me piace instead of mi piace in informal speech; this is regional and not standard written Italian. In polite service situations, a waiter may ask Le piace...? using the formal indirect pronoun Le. Answer with mi piace or non mi piace; the form of the verb does not change.
One thing to watch for
Saying io piaccio la pizza or io piace la pizza to mean 'I like pizza.'
Try this instead: Do not use io as the subject of piacere for liking food. Say mi piace la pizza. The food is the subject, and mi means 'to me.' For plural foods, say mi piacciono le mele, not mi piace le mele.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'I like strawberries' in Italian?
Show a sample answer
Mi piacciono le fragole.
Fragole is plural, so the verb must be piacciono. Mi piacciono le fragole is the standard form. A valid alternative in casual speech is Le fragole mi piacciono, which moves the food to the front for emphasis.
2How do you say 'I don't like coffee' in Italian?
Show a sample answer
Non mi piace il caffè.
Caffè is singular or uncountable here, so use piace. Non goes before mi piace. You could also say Il caffè non mi piace, which is equally correct and puts the food first.
3A friend asks Ti piace il formaggio? How can you answer that you like it very much?
Show a sample answer
Sì, mi piace molto.
Mi piace matches the singular il formaggio, and molto means 'very much.' You could also answer Sì, mi piace tanto, which is common in informal speech.
Remember the pattern: mi piace for one food, mi piacciono for more than one, and non before the pronoun for dislikes. The food controls the verb, not you.
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