Verb 'gefallen' (to please/like, + dative)

The verb gefallen means "to please" and is used to say you like something. The grammar is the reverse of English: the thing liked is the subject, and the person is in the dative.

So Der Film gefällt mir literally means "the film pleases me" = "I like the film".

Conjugation: gefallen → es gefällt (singular), sie gefallen (plural) - the verb agrees with the liked thing, not the person.

Examples:

• Der Film gefällt mir sehr. - I really like the film. (mir = dative)
• Die Stadt gefällt uns. - We like the city.
• Die Schuhe gefallen ihr. - She likes the shoes. (plural subject → gefallen)

Common mistakes: Don't treat the person as the subject. It is Der Film gefällt mir, not Ich gefalle den Film. Make the verb agree with the thing: Die Bilder gefallen mir (plural), not gefällt. And the person stays dative: mir, dir, ihm, never accusative.

'gefallen' (to please / to like) takes a dative object - the liked thing is the subject.

The thing liked is the subject; the person is in the dative (mir, dir …).

'gefallen' steht mit dem Dativ; die gemochte Sache ist das Subjekt.