îmi place / îmi plac

Expressing Likes

Level 1

In Romanian, you don't say 'I like X'; you say 'To me, X is pleasing.' Use îmi place for singular things or actions, and îmi plac for plural things.

How It Works

The pattern îmi place is the most common way to express preference in Romanian. Because it is a dative construction, it works differently than the English 'I like.'

1. The Structure
The sentence follows this logic: [To me] [pleases] [the thing].

  • Îmi: To me (Dative clitic)
  • Place: Pleases (3rd person singular)
  • Cafeaua: The coffee (Subject)

2. Singular vs. Plural
Since the 'thing liked' is the subject, the verb must change if you like more than one thing:

  • Îmi place + Singular Noun or Verb: Îmi place mărul (I like the apple).
  • Îmi plac + Plural Noun: Îmi plac merele (I like the apples).

3. Using Verbs (Actions)
When you like doing something, use îmi place followed by the să + present subjunctive construction: Îmi place să citesc (I like to read).

4. Definite Articles
When liking a noun in a general sense, Romanian requires the enclitic definite article. You don't like 'coffee'; you like 'the coffee' (cafeaua).

5. Negation
To say you don't like something, add nu. In speech, nu and îmi usually contract to nu-mi: Nu-mi place ploaia (I don't like the rain).

Examples (5)

  1. Îmi place muzica.

    I like music.

    Word by Word: To-me pleases the-music.

    Note the use of the definite article '-a' on 'muzica' and the singular verb 'place'.

  2. Îmi plac câinii.

    I like dogs.

    Word by Word: To-me please the-dogs.

    Because 'câinii' (the dogs) is plural, the verb changes from 'place' to 'plac'.

  3. Îmi place să dansez.

    I like to dance.

    Word by Word: To-me pleases that I-dance.

    When expressing a liking for an action, use 'place' followed by the subjunctive 'să' form.

  4. Nu-mi place ceaiul.

    I don't like the tea.

    Word by Word: Not-to-me pleases the-tea.

    The negative 'nu' contracts with 'îmi' to form 'nu-mi'.

  5. Îți place filmul?

    Do you like the movie?

    Word by Word: To-you pleases the-movie?

    Using the second person dative clitic 'îți' to ask a question.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the subject pronoun 'Eu' instead of the dative clitic 'Îmi'.

    Eu place cafeaua.
    Îmi place cafeaua.

    In Romanian, 'I' is not the subject of this sentence. You must use the dative clitic 'îmi' (to me).

  • Failing to change the verb for plural objects.

    Îmi place florile.
    Îmi plac florile.

    Since 'florile' (the flowers) is the grammatical subject, the verb must be plural ('plac').

  • Omitting the definite article on the noun.

    Îmi place ciocolată.
    Îmi place ciocolata.

    When expressing a general like, Romanian nouns must take the definite article.

How It Connects

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

îmi place / îmi placLevel 1Expressing Likes

Learn This First

Identify the thing or action liked as the grammatical subject and choose place or plac accordingly. Recognize definite noun phrases such as cafeaua without treating the article as a requirement of every îmi place clause.

Words in This Pattern

plăcea