Italian for Finding Shared Hobbies: Say 'We Both Love Hiking!' and 'Do You Play Chess?'
Learn elementary Italian to discover mutual interests: ask what someone likes, reply that you like it too, and invite them to do it together.
By PookieFriends & plans · Yapr Learn
To connect with someone in Italian, you need more than a list of hobbies: you need to find what you both like and say so clearly. This lesson teaches the two core moves of that conversation. First, ask what the other person likes with Ti piace...? ('Do you like...?'). Second, answer that you like it too with Anche a me piace... ('I like it too'). You will also learn to invite someone with Ti va di...? ('Do you feel like...?') and to accept or decline politely. All phrases use the informal tu, which is normal between peers, classmates and new friends of similar age.
By the end, you can…
- ask someone whether they like a hobby using Ti piace...?
- say that I like the same thing using Anche a me piace...
- invite someone to do an activity together with Ti va di...?
- accept or decline an invitation politely in informal Italian
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Ti piace fare escursioni?
Do you like hiking?
tee PYAH-cheh FAH-reh es-koor-SYOH-neh
Informal singular question. Escursioni is the standard word for hikes; in northern Italy you may also hear camminate in montagna ('walks in the mountains').
Sì, piace anche a me!
Yes, I like it too!
see, PYAH-cheh AN-keh ah MEH
Anche a me literally means 'to me too'. Piace anche a me is the most natural word order; Anche a me piace... is also correct. Use it to signal a shared like right after the other person speaks.
Giochi a scacchi?
Do you play chess?
JOH-kee ah SKAH-kee
Giochi is the informal tu form of giocare. Use giocare a + game or sport: giocare a scacchi, giocare a tennis, giocare a calcio.
Ti va di andare insieme?
Do you feel like going together?
tee VAH dee an-DAH-reh een-SYEH-meh
A friendly, low-pressure invitation. Ti va di...? is followed by an infinitive: andare, giocare, uscire.
Mi dispiace, non posso. Magari un'altra volta!
I'm sorry, I can't. Maybe another time!
mee dee-SPYAH-cheh, non POS-soh. mah-GAH-ree oon-AL-trah VOL-tah
A polite refusal. Magari un'altra volta keeps the connection open without promising a specific date.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The key pattern is piacere, which works differently from English 'to like'. The thing liked is the subject: Mi piace la montagna ('I like the mountains') with a singular noun, but Mi piace fare escursioni ('I like hiking') with an infinitive. For plural things, use the plural verb: Mi piacciono i giochi da tavolo ('I like board games'). To ask about the other person, change mi to ti: Ti piace la fotografia? Ti piacciono i puzzle? To agree, use Piace anche a me... or Piacciono anche a me....
When to use it
Use Ti piace...? when you want to test for a shared interest without being pushy: Ti piace cucinare? Ti piace il cinema? If the answer is yes, confirm the match with Anche a me! Then move to an invitation: Ti va di cucinare insieme sabato? If the answer is no, don't force it; switch topic with E invece, ti piace...? ('And instead, do you like...?'). This keeps the conversation warm and gives the other person an easy way to redirect.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Ciao! Ti piace fare escursioni?
Hi! Do you like hiking?CHOW! tee PYAH-cheh FAH-reh es-koor-SYOH-nehSì, mi piace molto! E tu giochi a scacchi?
Yes, I like it a lot! And do you play chess?see, mee PYAH-cheh MOL-toh! eh too JOH-kee ah SKAH-keeSì! Piace anche a me giocare a scacchi. Ti va di andare insieme domenica?
Yes! I like playing chess too. Do you feel like going together on Sunday?see! PYAH-cheh AN-keh ah MEH joh-KAH-reh ah SKAH-kee. tee VAH dee an-DAH-reh een-SYEH-meh doh-MEH-nee-kahVolentieri! Ci vediamo domenica alle dieci.
Gladly! See you Sunday at ten.voh-len-TYEH-ree! chee veh-DYAH-moh doh-MEH-nee-kah AL-leh DYEH-cheeA little context goes a long way
Italians often use the informal tu with peers, students and new friends of similar age, but switch to the formal Lei with older people, professionals or strangers in formal settings. In that case, say Le piace fare escursioni? and Le va di...? Invitations are usually softened with Ti va di...? rather than a direct Vuoi...? ('Do you want...?'), which can sound more demanding. Regional habits matter too: in the Alps, escursioni and camminate are everyday topics, while in coastal cities people may ask about nuotare or andare in bici.
One thing to watch for
Saying Io piaccio escursioni to mean 'I like hiking'.
Try this instead: Piacere does not mean 'to like' in the English pattern. Say Mi piacciono le escursioni for plural nouns, or Mi piace fare escursioni with an infinitive. The person who likes something appears as an indirect object pronoun: mi, ti, gli, le, ci, vi, gli.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you ask an informal peer if they like photography?
Show a sample answer
Ti piace la fotografia?
Ti is the informal indirect object pronoun and la fotografia is singular, so piace is correct. Ti piacciono le fotografie? would also be valid if you mean specific photos.
2Your friend says Mi piace cucinare. How do you say you like it too?
Show a sample answer
Piace anche a me cucinare.
Piace anche a me adds 'to me too' and keeps the same singular verb piace. In casual speech, Anche a me! alone is enough.
3Invite a friend to go to the cinema together, using the informal tu.
Show a sample answer
Ti va di andare al cinema insieme?
Ti va di + infinitive is the standard friendly invitation. Ti va di vedere un film? is also correct and slightly more specific.
To build connection in Italian, ask Ti piace...?, confirm with Piace anche a me..., and invite with Ti va di...? Keep the informal tu with peers and switch to Lei in formal situations.
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