gefallen, mögen or schmecken?
a2Three ways to say „like“, each with a different case: gefallen takes the dative and describes an impression, mögen takes the accusative and describes a lasting preference, schmecken is gefallen for food and drink.
gefallen
The thing is the subject, the person goes in the dative: Das Bild gefällt mir. It is about looks and first impression.
Die Wohnung gefällt mir.I like the flat.
mögen
The person is the subject, the thing goes in the accusative. It means a lasting preference, not a momentary one.
Ich mag klassische Musik.I like classical music.
schmecken
Only for food and drink, built like „gefallen“: the dish is the subject, the person goes in the dative.
Der Kuchen schmeckt mir.I like the cake.
The mistake
Ich gefalle den Film.
Der Film gefällt mir.
With „gefallen“ the thing is the subject and the person is in the dative. „Ich gefalle …“ would mean that others like me.
Rule of thumb
Turn the sentence around: what pleases whom? With „mögen“ it runs the other way: who likes what?
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