The idea
Use mir gefällt with a singular subject and mir gefallen with a plural subject. The first-position mir is not the subject and does not control the verb ending.
One contrast, not a prediction about every learner
Italian piacere makes the liked thing its grammatical subject and marks the experiencer indirectly. German gefallen has a useful parallel: the thing is nominative and the person is dative, while the verb agrees with the thing.
Individual experience, dialect and other languages you know can change which comparisons help. Use the contrast to notice a German choice; do not treat it as a label for a whole group of people.
Repair the transfer
Mir gefällt diese Bilder.Mir gefallen diese Bilder.Use mir gefällt with a singular subject and mir gefallen with a plural subject. The first-position mir is not the subject and does not control the verb ending.
Examples
- Mir gefällt die ruhige Atmosphäre in diesem Café.I like the quiet atmosphere in this café.
- Ihr gefallen die bunten Bilder an der Wand.She likes the colorful pictures on the wall.
- Gefällt dir der neue Vorschlag für den Garten?Do you like the new proposal for the garden?
- Uns gefallen die kurzen Wege in dieser Stadt.We like the short distances in this town.
- Den Gästen gefällt besonders der offene Innenhof.The guests particularly like the open courtyard.
- Welche der beiden Skizzen gefällt euch besser?Which of the two sketches do you like better?
Read-aloud uses a synthetic German voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.
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Watch out
Do not generalize a source-language pattern to every German sentence. Use mir gefällt with a singular subject and mir gefallen with a plural subject. The first-position mir is not the subject and does not control the verb ending.
Try it yourself
Korrigiere: Mir gefällt diese Bilder.
Show answer or example answer
Mir gefallen diese Bilder.
Mir gefallen diese Bilder. Use mir gefällt with a singular subject and mir gefallen with a plural subject. The first-position mir is not the subject and does not control the verb ending.
Ins Deutsche übertragen: I like the quiet atmosphere in this café.
Show answer or example answer
Mir gefällt die ruhige Atmosphäre in diesem Café.
Mir gefällt die ruhige Atmosphäre in diesem Café. Use mir gefällt with a singular subject and mir gefallen with a plural subject. The first-position mir is not the subject and does not control the verb ending.
Ins Deutsche übertragen: The guests particularly like the open courtyard.
Show answer or example answer
Den Gästen gefällt besonders der offene Innenhof.
Den Gästen gefällt besonders der offene Innenhof. Keep the meaning of the whole sentence while using the German pattern.
Practice round
Answer three questions, then rebuild three German sentences. We keep your score.
Korrigiere: Mir gefällt diese Bilder.
Mir gefallen diese Bilder.
Ins Deutsche übertragen: I like the quiet atmosphere in this café.
Mir gefällt die ruhige Atmosphäre in diesem Café.
Ins Deutsche übertragen: The guests particularly like the open courtyard.
Den Gästen gefällt besonders der offene Innenhof.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
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Write three German sentences of your own that follow the pattern of “Mir gefallen diese Bilder.”. Check each one for the Italian habit this lesson corrects, then read them aloud.