Expressing you like something/someone in French with the verb "plaire"

In French, to say that you like [something] or find [someone] attractive ('like' them), you can use the verb plaire.

Using "plaire" in French

Look at these sentences with plaire:

Cette veste plaît à Marie.Marie likes this jacket.

Ces peintures ne plaisent pas à mon frère.My brother doesn't like these paintings.

As you can see, the structure of the sentence with plaire is quite different than with another verb like aimer. So ...

 

How to use plaire in a sentence ?

Think of the verb plaire as the verb to be pleasing in English:

Martha likes chocolate.   ->   Chocolate pleases Martha.

In French, you actually say plaire à [quelqu'un] (lit. to be pleasing 'to' [someone])

Le chocolat plaît à Martha.

Note that the verb agrees with the thing being liked, not the person who likes it.

Therefore with things you only use the 3rd person of plaire: 3rd person singular - is pleasing (plaît in Le Présent) and 3rd person plural - are pleasing (plaisent in Le Présent).
BUT 

You can also use plaire with people to say to find [someone] attractive: 

In this case, you can use all conjugated forms of plaire:

French English
je plais à Luc Luc likes me
tu plais à Luc Luc likes you
il/elle/on plaît à Luc Luc likes him/her/us
nous plaisons à Luc Luc likes us
vous plaisez à Luc Luc likes you
ils/elles plaisent à Luc Luc likes them
Mateo plaît à Thérèse.Thérèse finds Mateo attractive.

 

How to say I/you/he/she/we/they like [something/ someone] with plaire ?

Les fleurs me plaisent.I like the flowers

Le repas te plaît ?Are you enjoying the meal?

Je lui plais.She likes me.

Elle nous plaît.We like her.

Nous vous plaisons.You like us.

Tu leur plais.They like you.

Note that you're literally saying [this] is pleasing to me, you, him, her..., that's why you use indirect object pronouns me/te/lui/nous/vous/leur, as such:

Object(s) + ind.obj.pron. + plaire 

See also Aimer = to love, like something/someone in French


ATTENTION:
In French you can also use the expression faire plaisir à [quelqu'un] to say to please [someone]to make [someone] happy.

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Examples and resources

Nous vous plaisons.You like us.
Cette fille lui plaît.He finds this girl attractive.
He likes this girl.
Je lui plais.She likes me.
Elle nous plaît.We like her.
Tu leur plais.They like you.
Cette veste plaît à Marie.Marie likes this jacket.
Ces peintures ne plaisent pas à mon frère.My brother doesn't like these paintings.
Mateo plaît à Thérèse.Thérèse finds Mateo attractive.

plaire


Le repas te plaît ?Are you enjoying the meal?
Les fleurs me plaisent.I like the flowers
Ça me plaît!I like that
Marie me plaîtI like Marie. [i.e. more in a romantic sense]
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