мне падабаецца
Liking with Падабацца
Мне падабаецца горад literally means "The city is pleasing to me". The one who likes is in the dative, and the verb agrees with the thing that is liked.
How It Works
Pattern: dative (who likes) + падабаецца or падабаюцца + nominative (what is liked).
- Мне падабаецца горад. (I like the city.)
- Табе падабаюцца кветкі? (Do you like the flowers?)
- Маме падабаецца чытаць. (Mom likes to read.) An infinitive counts as singular.
People can be liked too. Then the verb agrees with the person who is liked: Ты мне падабаешся (I like you, literally "you are pleasing to me"), Я табе падабаюся? (Do you like me?).
Падабацца or любіць? Любіць is an ordinary verb with a subject and an accusative object: Я люблю каву (I love coffee). Падабацца is softer and often describes an impression: Мне падабаецца гэтая кава (I like this coffee).
Why -цца? Падабацца is a reflexive verb, so its present-tense forms end in -ся or -цца: падабаюся, падабаешся, падабаецца, падабаемся, падабаецеся, падабаюцца.
Negatives and questions. Put не before the verb: Мне не падабаецца гэтая музыка (I do not like this music). Ask with rising intonation or with ці: Ці падабаецца вам Мінск? (Do you like Minsk?).
Examples (6)
- Мне падабаецца горад.
I like the city.
Word by Word: To me is pleasing the city.
Горад is the subject; мне is the dative.
- Табе падабаюцца кветкі?
Do you like the flowers?
Кветкі is plural, so the verb is падабаюцца.
- Яму падабаецца гуляць у футбол.
He likes playing football.
An infinitive takes the singular падабаецца.
- Ці падабаецца вам Мінск?
Do you like Minsk?
Вам: the polite or plural "you" in the dative.
- Мне не падабаецца гэтая музыка.
I do not like this music.
Не comes right before the verb.
- Ты мне вельмі падабаешся.
I really like you.
Word by Word: You to me very are pleasing.
Ты is the subject, so the verb is падабаешся.
Common Mistakes
Making the person who likes the subject.
Я падабаюся горад.Мне падабаецца горад.Я падабаюся means "I am liked". The one who likes goes in the dative, and the liked thing is the subject.
Not making the verb plural for plural things.
Мне падабаецца кветкі.Мне падабаюцца кветкі.The verb agrees with the liked thing. Кветкі is plural, so use падабаюцца.
Putting the liked thing in the accusative.
Мне падабаецца музыку.Мне падабаецца музыка.The liked thing is the subject, so it stays in the nominative: музыка.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Liking follows the dative of state.
Related Patterns
- любіць + InfinitiveLiking Activities with Любіць
Любіць expresses liking with an ordinary subject and object.
Level 1 - Reflexive Verbs in -ся/-ццаReflexive Verbs in -ся and -цца
Падабацца is a reflexive verb in -цца.
Level 2 - Personal Pronoun Case Forms
The dative pronouns used for the one who likes.
Level 2 - мне хочаццаImpersonal Wanting and Feeling with -ся
Хочацца also puts the person in the dative with a -ся verb.
Level 4 - Dative for the Recipient
The same dative case marks the recipient of an action.
Level 2
Words in This Pattern
Practice мне падабаецца in Bubblegum
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