Introduction to Impersonal Verbs

Some Italian verbs, like piacere (to like), mancare (to miss), bastare (to be enough), servire (to need), and interessare (to interest), function differently than in English. These verbs focus on the thing being experienced, rather than the person experiencing it. Here's how they work:

Forms of These Verbs with Indirect Object Pronouns

Verb	Italian Example	English Translation
Piacere (to like)	Mi piace il gelato. / Ci piacciono i film.	I like ice cream. / We like movies.
Mancare (to miss)	Mi manca il sole. / Ci mancano i nostri amici.	I miss the sun. / We miss our friends.
Bastare (to be enough)	Ti basta un’ora? / Ci bastano due euro.	Is one hour enough for you? / Two euros are enough for us.
Servire (to need)	Mi serve una penna. / Ci servono le sedie.	I need a pen. / We need the chairs.
Interessare (to interest)	Ti interessa la storia? / Ci interessano i libri.	Are you interested in history? / We are interested in books.

Singular vs. Plural Subject

The verb changes depending on whether the subject (the thing being liked, missed, or needed) is singular or plural. Here's the breakdown:

• Singular subject: Use the third person singular form of the verb.
  • Example: "Mi piace il film." (I like the movie. "Film" is singular.)
  • Example: "Mi serve una penna." (I need a pen. "Penna" is singular.)
• Plural subject: Use the third person plural form of the verb.
  • Example: "Ci piacciono i film." (We like the movies. "Film" is plural.)
  • Example: "Ci servono le sedie." (We need the chairs. "Sedie" is plural.)

Why Use Indirect Object Pronouns?

With these verbs, we use indirect object pronouns (like mi, ti, ci, vi, etc.) because the action is happening to the person indirectly. The thing being liked, needed, or missed is the subject, and the person experiencing the action is the indirect object.

Summary

• The subject of verbs like piacere and servire is the thing being liked, needed, or missed.
• The indirect object pronoun reflects the person who is experiencing the action.
• The verb conjugates based on whether the subject is singular or plural.