Verbs Similar to Piacere

Piacere is a verb a little bit particular, because its conjugation has only 2 forms piace and piacciono. But, it is not the only one, in fact there are others that act in the same way. In today article called “Verbs similar to piacere”, I talk about other 6 verbs that can be conjugated in the same way! Keep reading to learn more!! :)

Do you know The verb piacere? Do you know how to use it? If your answer is yes, then I’m sure you’ve noticed that this is a very peculiar verb and the way in which it is used is not exactly like all the other verbs. Why is this? 

Because it only has two forms: piace and piacciono, which are accompanied by what are called indirect pronouns. 

If this very brief explanation makes you nod, then it means that you don’t need any further clarification. On the other hand, if what I have explained thus far makes you wrinkle your forehead in confusion, it may be time to delve deeper into what I’ve said in the article Il verbo Piacere or The verb Piacere.

Verbs Similar to Piacere

Piacere is not the only verb in Italian which behaves in such a unique way; there are some others, as listed below:

• Mancare 
• Bastare 
• Servire 
• Sembrare 
• Restare
• Rimanere

Before you get alarmed, I’d like to make one thing clear, which is that all these verbs can be conjugated in two different ways: 

• In the most common way, i.e., with all the personal subject pronouns (io, tu, lui, lei, noi, voi, loro), or
• By following the pattern of piacere with the indirect pronouns accompanying the verb.

Below, I will explain how to go about conjugating the verbs mentioned above in the second of ways listed, that is, with the indirect pronouns. Let’s take a look at them together.

Let’s now try making sentences with this verb: 

• Ci manca tanto l’isola in cui abbiamo trascorso la vacanza. = We miss the island where we spent our vacation.
• Vi manca molto per finire il progetto? No, ci mancano solo gli ultimi dettagli. = Are you missing much to finish the project? No, we’re just missing the last few details.

Before proceeding, I want to point out that the verbs mentioned below use the exact same pattern as piacere and mancare when they are to be conjugated, so: 

• Indirect pronoun + verb (in the shorter form),
• Verb + indirect pronoun (put before or after the verb in the longer form) 

 This is why I will avoid repeating the conjugation of each verb. 

2. Bastare (to be enough)

Usually the verb bastare is used to say stop. For example:

•  Ora basta. Non ne posso più! = Stop now. I can’t take it anymore.

Actually it can also be used as to be enough. For example:

• A pranzo solo un panino non mi basta (i.e. it is not enough). = At lunch one sandwich only is not enough for me.
• Ti bastano due cucchiaini di zucchero? (i.e. they are enough). = Is two teaspoons of sugar enough?

3. Servire (to be needed)

Servire is a verb that is commonly translated as to serve, as in the following case:

• Il cameriere serve gli avventori. = The waiter serves the customers.

However, when we use the two forms serve and servono, its meaning becomes to be needed. For example:

• Ci serve una bella birra per riprenderci dalla fatica fatta. = We need a nice beer to recover from our hard work.
• Vi servono dei buoni spesa? Ne ho molti!. = Do you need shopping vouchers? I have many of them!

4. Sembrare (to seem)

Sembrare is another verb that can be conjugated in two different ways – with all the verb forms io, tu , lui, lei, noi, voi loro and with indirect pronouns.

Let’s focus for the moment on the second form and try to use sembra and sembrano in some sentences:

• Quell’uomo gli sembra strano. = That man seems strange to him.
• Gli alpaca sembrano animali così carini! = Alpacas seem like such cute animals!

5. Restare, rimanere (to be left)

Restare and rimanere are generally translated as to stay, to remain. However, when we use them following the pattern of piacere they take on the meaning of to be left.

So the two forms will be: resta-restano, rimane-rimangono. For example:

• Mi resta ancora una settimana di lavoro e poi finalmente andrò in vacanza. = I have one more week left of work and then I’ll finally go on vacation.
• Ti restano solo pochi chilometri da percorrere per finire la gara! = You only have a few miles left to finish the race!

• Ci rimane poco tempo. Dobbiamo fare in fretta! = We have very little time left. We have to hurry!
• Le rimangono solo due opzioni. Spero scelga bene. = You only have two options left. I hope you choose wisely.

But N.B.!

In all the examples shown so far, I have only used indirect pronouns in their shortest form. However, this does not mean that you cannot use them in the longer form. On the contrary, they are especially recommended when you want to emphasize something, for example: 

• Ho quasi finito di studiare per l’esame. = I’m almost done studying for the exam.
• Beato te. A me manca ancora metà il libro. = Lucky you. I still have half the book left.

Conclusion

The verbs examined so far can all be conjugated in two different ways, i.e. using personal subject pronouns or indirect object pronouns. However, pay close attention to the verb bastare which is conjugated mostly using the two forms basta-bastano.

It is always interesting to notice these particularities and to understand how the language can vary according to what we want to express. As already stated in a previous article, the more we delve into our study of the language, the more we can grasp its nuances, even the tiniest ones, which bring us closer and closer to our goal: to speak more and more like native Italians.

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