The idea
Use mir, dir, ihm or another dative person. Choose gefällt for one thing and gefallen for plural things, even when the dative person comes first.
One contrast, not a prediction about every learner
Spanish gustar normally treats the liked thing as subject and the experiencer as indirect object. German gefallen offers a similar structure, but the person has a German dative form and the verb agrees with the nominative 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
Mich gefallen die Farben.Mir gefallen die Farben.Use mir, dir, ihm or another dative person. Choose gefällt for one thing and gefallen for plural things, even when the dative person comes first.
Examples
- Mir gefallen die warmen Farben in diesem Bild.I like the warm colors in this picture.
- Dir gefällt offenbar der kleine Garten hinter dem Haus.You apparently like the small garden behind the house.
- Dem neuen Teilnehmer gefallen die kurzen Übungen.The new participant likes the short exercises.
- Gefällt euch der Vorschlag mit den zwei Pausen?Do you like the proposal with the two breaks?
- Uns gefällt besonders die klare Erklärung am Anfang.We particularly like the clear explanation at the beginning.
- Welche Überschrift gefällt deiner Kollegin am besten?Which heading does your colleague like best?
Read-aloud uses a synthetic German voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.
No German device voice is available. You can still read the text and use the linked listening resources.
Watch out
Do not generalize a source-language pattern to every German sentence. Use mir, dir, ihm or another dative person. Choose gefällt for one thing and gefallen for plural things, even when the dative person comes first.
Try it yourself
Korrigiere: Mich gefallen die Farben.
Show answer or example answer
Mir gefallen die Farben.
Mir gefallen die Farben. Use mir, dir, ihm or another dative person. Choose gefällt for one thing and gefallen for plural things, even when the dative person comes first.
Ins Deutsche übertragen: I like the warm colors in this picture.
Show answer or example answer
Mir gefallen die warmen Farben in diesem Bild.
Mir gefallen die warmen Farben in diesem Bild. Use mir, dir, ihm or another dative person. Choose gefällt for one thing and gefallen for plural things, even when the dative person comes first.
Ins Deutsche übertragen: We particularly like the clear explanation at the beginning.
Show answer or example answer
Uns gefällt besonders die klare Erklärung am Anfang.
Uns gefällt besonders die klare Erklärung am Anfang. 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: Mich gefallen die Farben.
Mir gefallen die Farben.
Ins Deutsche übertragen: I like the warm colors in this picture.
Mir gefallen die warmen Farben in diesem Bild.
Ins Deutsche übertragen: We particularly like the clear explanation at the beginning.
Uns gefällt besonders die klare Erklärung am Anfang.
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 die Farben.”. Check each one for the Spanish habit this lesson corrects, then read them aloud.