meeldima

Liking (Mulle Meeldib)

Level 1

To say you like something, say that it pleases you: Mulle meeldib kohv. (I like coffee. Literally: coffee pleases me.)

How It Works

Who likes: the allative

The person goes in the allative -le. The pronoun forms are short: mulle, sulle, talle, meile, teile, neile (see Pronouns in Other Cases). With a noun: Emale meeldib jäätis. (Mom likes ice cream.)

What is liked: the subject

The liked thing is the subject. It is in the nominative, and the verb agrees with it:

  • Mulle meeldib kass. (I like the cat.)
  • Mulle meeldivad kassid. (I like cats.)

Liking an activity. Use the da-infinitive with meeldib: Mulle meeldib lugeda. (I like to read.) Talle meeldib reisida. (She likes to travel.)

Negative. Say Mulle ei meeldi kohv. (I do not like coffee.) The liked thing stays nominative, because it is the subject, not an object. The partitive after negation does not apply here.

Questions. Kas sulle meeldib Tallinn? (Do you like Tallinn?) Mis sulle meeldib? (What do you like?)

Liking a person. The pattern is the same: Talle meeldib Mari. (He likes Mari.) Turned around, Ma meeldin talle means he likes me, because I am the one who pleases.

This works like mul on, where the person also comes first in a case form and is not the subject.

Examples (6)

  1. Mulle meeldib kohv.

    I like coffee.

  2. Talle meeldivad kassid.

    She likes cats.

    kassid is plural, so the verb is meeldivad.

  3. Mulle meeldib lugeda.

    I like to read.

    An activity takes the da-infinitive: lugeda.

  4. Kas sulle meeldib Tallinn?

    Do you like Tallinn?

  5. Mulle ei meeldi talv.

    I do not like winter.

    talv stays nominative after ei meeldi, because it is the subject.

  6. Meile meeldib see film.

    We like this film.

Common Mistakes

  • Making the person the subject, as in English.

    Ma meeldin kohvi.
    Mulle meeldib kohv.

    Ma meeldin means I am liked. The person who likes goes in the allative, and the coffee is the subject.

  • Using the partitive after ei meeldi.

    Mulle ei meeldi kohvi.
    Mulle ei meeldi kohv.

    The partitive after a negative is for objects. With meeldima the liked thing is the subject, so it stays nominative.

  • Using the ma-infinitive for an activity.

    Mulle meeldib lugema.
    Mulle meeldib lugeda.

    meeldima takes the da-infinitive: lugeda, reisida, süüa.

How It Connects

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

meeldimaLevel 1Liking (Mulle Meeldib)

Learn This First

The person who likes goes in the allative.

Words in This Pattern

meeldima