I like you in Italian is mi piaci
Example Sentences
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Mi piaci molto.
I like you very much.
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Mi piaci.
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Quella è la ragione per cui mi piaci.
That’s why I like you.
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Sei strana — mi piaci.
You’re weird — I like you.
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Mi piaci molto!
I like you very much!
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Tu mi piaci molto.
I like you very much.
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È la ragione per cui mi piaci.
That’s why I like you.
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Sei strano — mi piaci.
You’re weird — I like you.
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More Examples of I like you in Italian
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È strano — mi piace.
You’re weird — I like you.
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È strana — mi piace.
You’re weird — I like you.
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È la ragione per cui mi piace.
That’s why I like you.
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Quella è la ragione per cui mi piace.
That’s why I like you.
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Lei mi piace molto.
I like you very much.
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Mi piace molto.
I like it very much., I like you very much., I like him very much., I like her very much., I like it a lot.
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Looking for something a bit more visual? Check out our infographic on I like you in Italian with example sentences and translations.
Useful Links
- WordReference
- Wiktionary
- Google Translate
- Tatoeba
- bab.la
- Glosbe
- Linguee
Have a question or comment about I like you in Italian? Let us know!
A reader recently left a comment on my article I Would Have Liked asking for more “curly conjugations”. I was particularly taken by that phrase, and immediately decided to adopt it as a blog theme.
So, where better to begin than with one of the curliest of all Italian constructions: piacere. And to keep things nice and light, a song by the Italian cantautore (singer songwriter) Alex Britti.
Now, we all know that the Italians have got the whole ‘I like’ thing completely back to front … but that’s just the way it is and there’s no way around it! So we gradually adjust to the idea of ‘mi piace‘ (it pleases me) being the equivalent of ‘I like it’, and ‘mi piacciono’ (they please me) meaning ‘I like them’. But these ‘curly conjugations’ still keep tripping us up. How about if we want to say ‘I like you’ to a friend?
The answer lies in the following romantic and amusing tale by Britti. (English translation by yours truly)
Update 29/09/15, several readers have advised me that the original video is not available in their country. If the above link doesn’t work for you then please try this one instead:
Cosa vorresti per regalo
da trovare sotto il letto
qualche fiore eccezionale
o qualche frase che ho già detto
come quella volta in treno
che guardavi dal finestrino
t’ho vista e avvicinandomi
cominciai a fare il cretino.
Che ore sono, quanti anni hai,
davvero sei di Milano.
Ho una zia che vive a Brescia
certe volte il mondo è strano.
What present would you like
to find under the bed
an amazing flower
or some phrase that I’ve already said
like that time in the train
when you were looking out of the window
I saw you, and coming closer
I started being a cretin.
What time is it, how old are you
are you really from Milan
I’ve got an aunt that lives in Brescia
sometimes it’s a strange world.
Cosa vorresti che dicessi
adesso che ci frequentiamo
t’accontenti di “ti voglio bene”
oppure vuoi proprio “ti amo”.
T’ho comprato un cagnolino
che abbaiava raramente
ma da quando sta con te
si è già mangiato tanta gente.
Lo sapevo che eri strana però
non capivo quanto
e da quando stiamo insieme,
due, tre, quattro volte ho pianto.
What would you want me to say
now that we’re going out together
are you okay with ‘I really care for you’
or do you want ‘I love you’ instead.
I bought you a little dog
that hardly ever barked
but since it’s been with you
it’s already eaten a lot of people.
I knew that you were strange but
I didn’t realise how much
and since we’ve been together
I’ve cried two, three, or four times.
Cosa vorresti da mangiare
siamo andati al ristorante
sembra non ti piaccia niente
eppure di cose ne hanno tante
allora siamo andati al mare
così almeno ti rilassi
e invece è troppo caldo, così anche lì mi stressi.
Andiamo via ti prego
andiamo a casa ti farò impazzire
ma poi sei troppo stanca
hai mal di testa e vuoi dormire.
What would you like to eat
we went to the restaurant
It seems like you don’t like anything
yet they’ve got a lot of choice
then we went to the sea
so at least you could relax
but it turns out that it’s too hot, so even there you stress me out.
Let’s go away I beg you
let’s go home and I’ll make you crazy
but then you’re too tired
you’ve got a headache and you want to sleep.
Però mi piaci … mi piaci …
che ci posso fare … mi piaci.
But I like you … I like you …
what can I do about it … I like you.
E siamo usciti con gli amici tuoi
almeno sei contenta
siamo andati in birreria
quattro chiacchiere e una pinta
e anche lì neanche a farlo apposta
hai avuto da ridire perché la musica era troppo alta,
hai chiamato il cameriere, questo posto mi fa schifo
guarda un po’ che serataccia
lui ovviamente si è incazzato
e ha dato a me un cazzotto in faccia.
And we went out with your friends
at least you’re happy
we went to a pub
for a chat and a pint
and even there, by sheer coincidence
you complained because the music was too loud,
you called the waiter, this place is disgusting
huh, what a terrible night out
obviously he got pissed off
and gave me a punch in the face
Però mi piaci … mi piaci …
che ci posso fare … mi piaci.
Mi hai convinto che tua madre
si sentiva troppo sola
viene a stare un po’ da noi
che una settimana vola
e così son due anni che mi stressa ogni mattina
dice che lo fa per noi e alle 5 è già in cucina
che prepara non so cosa gli dirà quella sua testa.
Son due anni di tortura,
dice “vado” e invece resta.
You convinced me that your mother
felt too alone
she’s coming to stay with us for a bit
a week flies by
so I’ve been stressed every morning for two years
she says she’s doing it for us and at 5 a.m. she’s already in the kitchen
and cooks who knows whatever her head tells her to.
It’s been two years of torture
she says “I’m going” but she stays
Però mi piaci … mi piaci …
che ci posso fare … mi piaci.
Cosa vuoi che ti dica c’ho creduto veramente
eri bella come il sole,
il resto non contava niente
però adesso hai esagerato ci ho pensato di nascosto
anche il sole a volte brucia
e accanto a me non c’è più posto.
Ma perché quel giorno che t’ho vista
fui così cretino
se potessi tornare indietro
ti butterei dal finestrino …
What can I tell you, I really believed in us
you were as beautiful as the sun,
nothing else mattered
but now you’ve gone over the top, I thought about it secretly
even the sun burns sometimes
and by my side there’s no place (for you) any more.
But why, that day that I saw you,
was I such a cretin
if I could go back in time
I’d throw you out of the window
Però mi piaci … mi piaci …
che ci posso fare … mi piaci
These examples may contain rude words based on your search.
These examples may contain colloquial words based on your search.
mi piaci
mi piacete
mi piace
tu mi piaccia
mi stai simpatico
ti voglio bene
mi sei simpatico
ti amo
piacermi
me piaci tu
tu piaci
lei mi è simpatico
mi stai simpatica
ti preferisco
mi piacevi
Suggestions
And I like you even more for not telling lies.
E mi piaci ancora di più perché non menti.
Shiva, I like you so hard.
I like you no matter what, because I love your brain.
Mi piaci indipendentemente da come sei perché amo il tuo cervello.
I like you for your innocence.
I like you quite a bit.
Mi piaci parecchio, ma si dà il caso…
I mean that… I like you.
I like you very much, young lady.
Mi piaci davvero molto, ragazzina.
Just… I like you so much.
Now I like you even more.
I forgot how much I like you after a big win.
Mi ero dimenticata quanto mi piaci dopo una grande vittoria.
I mean, that’s why I like you.
And I like you a lot too.
That’s how much I like you.
Questo dovrebbe farti capire quanto mi piaci.
I like you… too bad you’re a chiseller.
Mi piaci, peccato tu sia una bara.
I like you as a friend, maybe more.
Mi piaci come amica, forse di più.
I like you more every minute.
Suggestions that contain I like you
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Expression index: 1-400, 401-800, 801-1200
Phrase index: 1-400, 401-800, 801-1200
For such a passionate people, Italians don’t often say, “I love you.”
The literal translation for “I love you” – ti amo – is reserved only for your mostest dearest sweetheart, and only after a considerable length of time and (usually) a great deal of intimacy. Best friends, siblings, parents, and everyone else you have strong feelings for get a ti voglio* bene – literally, “I want well for you,” or “I wish you well.”
Now that you know this, you’ll notice it more in the graffiti that seems to cover every inch of Rome. It will either be written out, or in its popular acronym – TVB. Another one you’ll see is TVTB – ti voglio tanto bene. It’s stronger and the precursor to ti amo. My favorite one, though, I most often notice among teenage girls – ti voglio tantissimo bene. I wish you the very best in the whole wide world. It’s like the Italian version of BFF, or best friends forever.
Speaking of graffiti and love, keep your eyes on the streets in the more residential neighborhoods – this seems to be where the highest concentration of the strongest declarations of love are spray painted on the streets, usually facing the front door of an apartment building. Walk around San Lorenzo, Pigneto or Casilina long enough and you’ll see a large AUGURI!!!!! (for birthdays), or a DAMIANO TI AMO X** SEMPRE, or a MARIELA TU 6*** IL MIO GIRASOLE TI AMO!!!!!!, or other similarly flowery sentiments.
To like someone or something requires one of those grammatical brain teasers that is infuriating to English speakers. Mi piace – I like it – literally translates to, it pleases me. Reflexive, it that called? I don’t know. It sucks and confuses me. So, to say “I like you” is mi piaci, and we’ll leave it at that.
*Have you forgotten my pronunciation guides already? Voglio is pronounced VOL-yo.
** “X” means per, which means “for,” and is also the symbol for multiplication – saying “three times four” in Italian, you’d say, “tre per quatro.” In the above, X sempre means forever.
***Sei, “you are,” and sei, “six,” are one of the rare homographs/homophones in Italian.
Did you know that in Italian, there are two different ways to say “I love you”?
But they’re not interchangeable. If you use the wrong one with the wrong person, you might end up saying something embarrassing by accident!
Learn how Italians say “I love you” to different people in this episode of 5 minute Italian.
To make sure you remember what you learnt in today’s lesson, below you’ll find bonus materials including word lists, quizzes and flashcards. But first…
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Bonus Materials
Remember and practice using what you learnt with the bonus materials for today’s episode.
Today’s Italian words
Come si dice “I love you” in Italiano = How do you say “I love you” in Italian?
Dipende = it depends
Ti amo = I love you (romantic love) lit. “you I love”
Il fidanzato = the boyfriend
La fidanzata = the girlfriend
Il marito = the husband
La moglie = the wife
Ti voglio bene = I love you (between family or close friends) lit. “you I want well”
TVB = acronym of ti voglio bene
Take the Quiz!
How much did you learn? Find out in the 5-minute Italian quiz!
Click here to take the quiz for this episode: How to say “I love you” in Italian
Italian flashcards
Remember the vocabulary from your 5 Minute Italian lessons by downloading the digital flashcard pack.
- Download the flashcards: [5MI #45] How to say I love you in Italian
- Not sure how it works? Click here to watch the tutorial.
Learn Italian with music!
Here’s a song by Vasco Rossi called “ti voglio bene” (I love you). The video includes the lyrics so you can learn Italian as you listen 🙂
Transcript
Please note, this is not a word for word transcript.
Katie: Ciao a tutti e benvenuti a 5 Minute Italian, I’m Katie
M: And I’m Matteo.
Did you know that in Italian, there are two different ways to say “I love you”? But they’re not interchangeable. If you use the wrong one with the wrong person, you might end up saying something embarrassing by accident! Learn how Italians say “I love you” to different people in episode 45 of 5 minute Italian.
Katie: Ciao a tutti e benvenuti a 5 Minute Italian, I’m Katie
Matteo: And I’m Matteo
Katie: And in today’s episode, you’ll learn 2 ways to say “I love you” in Italian, and more importantly, how to distinguish between them, so you don’t say the wrong one to the wrong person. We’ll have a mini chat about it in Italian, so you can practice your listening, then we’ll break it down in English.
K: Matteo, come si dice “I love you” in Italiano?
M: Dipende. Se parliamo dell’amore romantico, diciamo “ti amo”. Però, se parliamo dell’amore in famiglia, o tra amici, diciamo “ti voglio bene”.
Katie: So you first heard the question:
Matteo: Come si dice “I love you” in Italiano.
Katie: Which means: “How do you say “I love you” in Italian”. Then you heard:
Matteo: Dipende.
Katie: Which means it depends. So what does it depend on? Did you catch Matteo’s explanation?
Matteo: Se parliamo dell’amore romantico, diciamo “ti amo”.
Katie: If we speak about romantic love, we say “ti amo”. Ti means “you” and amo means “I love”.
Matteo: In Italian we literally say “you I love”. Ti amo.
Katie: Interestingly, Italians have 2 different ways of saying I love you. Ti amo is reserved for romantic love, so something you’d say to your romantic partner.
Matteo: Yes. You could say it to your fidanzata o fidanzato
Katie: Girlfriend or boyfriend
Matteo: Or your marito o moglie
Katie: Husband or wife. What would you say if you wanted to say I love you to someone in your family? Well, in the dialogue at the beginning, we heard Matteo say:
Matteo: Però, se parliamo dell’amore in famiglia o tra amici, diciamo “ti voglio bene”
Katie: But, if we speak about love in the family or between friends, we say: ti voglio bene.
Matteo: We know that ti means “you”. Voglio means “I want” and bene means “well”. So the literal translation is “you I want well”.
Katie: That’s right, ti voglio bene = “you I want well”. Which probably sounds a little strange! With these kind of phrases, I find it’s best not to worry to much about the logic behind it – because it’s so different to in English. You can just learn it as a fixed phrase – if you want to say “I love you” to family or close friends, stick with “ti voglio bene”.
And sometimes you might even come across TVB, which is the acronym of ti voglio bene. It’s kind of like LOL, so it’s a bit silly, but I sometimes use this in a jokey way with my friends from uni.
Matteo: The word voglio has the “gli” sound in it. If you want to learn more about how to pronounce it, you can go back and listen to episode 5: how to pronounce gli.
Katie: And you’ll find all of today’s words along with the spelling in the show notes. If you’d like to go into more depth and make sure you remember what you learnt in today’s lesson, head over to our website where you’ll find bonus materials including a quiz and flashcards – joyoflanguages.com/how-to-say-I-love-you-in-Italian (hyphen between each word). You’ll also find the link in the show notes.
And finally, if you like the idea of learning Italian with music, there’s an Italian song by Vasco Rossi called “ti voglio bene”, which goes nicely with today’s episode, so you’ll find a link to that on our website.
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Naples born and bred Matteo is on a mission to share the Italian language and culture with people from all over the world. He loves languages, video games and searching for the perfect pizza.