Liking Something: sviđa mi se

Liking Something

Level 2

Sviđa mi se means I like it, literally it pleases me.

How It Works

This is how Bosnians say they like a place, a person or an object for the first time. For the verb voljeti, see the lesson on želim i volim. Sviđa mi se is often used for first impressions.

PatternExample
one thingSviđa mi se grad.
several thingsSviđaju mi se kuće.
a personSviđaš mi se.

Change the person with the short dative: mi, ti, mu, joj, nam, vam, im. The word se always stays: Sviđa joj se Mostar.

Careful with Sviđaš mi se. Said to a person, it can sound romantic, depending on who says it.

Examples (5)

  1. Sviđa mi se grad.

    I like the city.

    One thing: sviđa.

  2. Sviđaju mi se ove kuće.

    I like these houses.

    Several things: sviđaju.

  3. Sviđa joj se Mostar.

    She likes Mostar.

    Joj for she.

  4. Sviđa li ti se kafa?

    Do you like the coffee?

    The question with li.

  5. Nama se sviđa Una.

    We like the Una river.

    Nama stresses we.

Common Mistakes

  • Treating it like a regular verb

    Sviđam grad.
    Sviđa mi se grad.

    The thing liked is the subject, and the person goes into the dative.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Liking Something: sviđa mi seLevel 2Liking Something

Learn This First

Sviđa mi se uses a dative pronoun.

Words in This Pattern

sviđatisemi