líbit se + Dative

The verb líbit se is used for sensory, aesthetic, or first impressions, as well as for abstract concepts and ideas. You use it when reacting to a new song, admiring clothes, enjoying a city's vibe, finding someone physically attractive, or liking a proposal (e.g., Líbí se mi ten nápad. – I like the idea).

Grammar Structure:

• The Subject (Nominative): The thing you like is the grammatical subject. The verb conjugates to match it (usually 3rd person singular líbí or plural líbí). In the past tense, it must also agree in gender (e.g., Líbil se ti ten film? – Did you like the movie?). Watch out for neuter plural subjects in the past tense: they take the ending -a, which looks identical to the feminine singular (e.g., Líbila se mi ta auta. – I liked those cars).
• The Experiencer (Dative): The person doing the liking is in the dative case. This can be a pronoun (e.g., mi, ti, mu, jí, nám, vám, jim) or a regular noun or name (e.g., Petrovi se líbí Praha. – Petr likes Prague).
• Negation: To express dislike, attach the negative prefix ne- directly to the verb. This does not disrupt the clitic word order (e.g., Ten svetr se mi nelíbí. – I don't like that sweater.).
• Word Order: Czech phonology requires unstressed clitics to sit in the second position of the clause. Therefore, se and the short dative pronoun (like mi) must immediately follow the first stressed word or phrase. This means the subject can occupy the first position (Ten svetr se mi líbí. – I like that sweater.) or the verb can be first (Líbí se mi ten svetr. – I like that sweater.). If a past-tense auxiliary is present, the strict clitic order is Auxiliary → Reflexive (se) → Dative (e.g., Líbil jsem se ti. – You liked me.).
• Perfective Aspect: To express the exact moment you took a liking to something or someone caught your eye, use the perfective partner zalíbit se (e.g., Hned se mi zalíbil. – I took a liking to him immediately).

Crucial Distinctions:
English uses "to like" for everything, but Czech splits it up:

• Use líbit se for aesthetics, first impressions, and ideas.
• Use mít rád + akuzativ for lasting fondness, settled affection, or habitual preference (e.g., loving your job, family, or a hobby), as well as a general preference for a type of food (e.g., Mám rád pizzu. – I like pizza in general). Note that rád is an adjective and must agree with the gender of the person doing the liking (e.g., a man says mám rád, a woman says mám ráda).
• Use chutnat / vonět + dativ for specific senses: chutnat is for the sensory experience of currently eating or drinking something (e.g., Ta pizza mi chutná. – This pizza tastes good to me / I am enjoying this pizza right now), which contrasts with the general preference expressed by mít rád. Meanwhile, vonět is for how something smells (e.g., Ta káva mi voní. – That coffee smells good to me).
• Use rád/ráda + conjugated verb to express liking an activity (e.g., Rád čtu. – I like reading). You cannot use líbit se or mít rád with an infinitive verb.

Note: Telling a friend Líbíš se mi (I am attracted to you) does not mean a platonic "I like you as a person." It strongly implies physical or romantic attraction! For platonic fondness, use Mám tě rád(a) (I like you).