Like, miss, interest: μου αρέσει
A whole row of Greek feeling verbs is turned inside out. The one who feels stands aside, and the thing that causes the feeling does the acting. Μου αρέσει το παγωτό — the ice cream pleases me. For example: “Μου αρέσουν οι γαρίδες με σκόρδο” — I like the shrimp with garlic. A rule from the Greek course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
A whole row of Greek feeling verbs is turned inside out. The one who feels stands aside, and the thing that causes the feeling does the acting. Μου αρέσει το παγωτό (mu arési to pagotó) — the ice cream pleases me.
So the verb agrees with the thing, not with you. One — αρέσει (arési); several — αρέσουν (arésun): Μου αρέσουν οι γαρίδες (mu arésun i garídes). English hides this inside "I like them"; Greek shows it in the ending.
The same goes for μου λείπει (I miss), με ενδιαφέρει (I am interested), μου φαίνεται (it seems to me). Some want μου (mu), others με (me). There is no rule; you learn it with the word.
μου λείπεις (mu lípis) stands apart: "I miss you", word for word "you are missing to me". Say σου λείπω and it flips: you miss me.
Table
| the construction | word for word | in English |
|---|---|---|
| μου αρέσει | it pleases me (one thing) | I like it |
| μου αρέσουν | they please me (several) | I like them |
| μου λείπεις | you are missing to me | I miss you |
| με ενδιαφέρει | it interests me | I find it interesting |
| μου φαίνεται | it seems to me | it seems to me |
By example
- Μου αρέσουν οι γαρίδες με σκόρδοmu arésun i garídes me skórdoI like the shrimp with garlic
- Μου λείπεις πολύmu lípis políI miss you very much
- Δεν με ενδιαφέρει το κουτσομπολιόden me endiaféri to kutsombolióGossip doesn't interest me
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
Like, miss, interest: how does it work in Greek?
A whole row of Greek feeling verbs is turned inside out. The one who feels stands aside, and the thing that causes the feeling does the acting. Μου αρέσει το παγωτό — the ice cream pleases me.
What does it look like in an example sentence Greek?
“Μου αρέσουν οι γαρίδες με σκόρδο” (mu arésun i garídes me skórdo) — I like the shrimp with garlic. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.