Original Post by: olimo: https://forum.duolingo.com/comment/11754722 | Archived original page: https://archive.ph/exvSh
Hi everyone! Here's a guide for those who have problems matching Russian "любить/нравиться" to English "love/like".
Sure, it would be easier if you could just remember something like "love = любить", "like = нравиться", but things are more complicated than that.
First, please read the Tips and notes for The Infinitive, Likes and Dislikes skill. Maybe that's all the information you need. I put them below for your convenience.
I LIKE/I LOVE?
In Russian, you can express liking things and activities pretty much the same way as in English, with similar verbs. The usage differs a bit, though.
A a rule of thumb, «Я люблю́» means "I love" only when directed at a single person (or animal). Otherwise, it's just "I like".
- "LOVE" люби́ть means a stable, lasting feeling (note the phonetic change for the 1st person singular: "люблю"). A normal, transitive verb, i.e. used with the Accusative. Use it for loving an individual or liking some things/people/activity in general (verbs take infinitive). Very much preferred in negations of such activities (i.e. "don't like to wait")
- "LIKE" нра́виться means moderate "liking" something or someone, often something specific. Not transitive! The thing liked is the subject, acting indirectly on a person: «Мне нра́вится стол» = I like the table.
- note that «Мне нра́вится стол» works in a similar way to the English verb "to seem": "The table seems good to me". The sentence is built as though the table "transmits" the feeling towards you. While rare in English, in Russian, this is pretty typical for feelings and experience to be expressed that way («Мне хорошо́»).
INFINITIVE «НРА́ВИТЬСЯ» AND 3RD PERSON SINGULAR «НРА́ВИТСЯ» ARE PRONOUNCED EXACTLY THE SAME, HOWEVER, FOR THE SAKE OF CONSISTENCY THEY ARE SPELT DIFFERENTLY (MOST INFINITIVES END IN «-ТЬ», SO -ТЬ + СЯ = -ТЬСЯ, NATURALLY)
When you refer to generic things and activities, both verbs can be used but «люби́ть» is mildly more useful.
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I tried to explain liking and loving differently by fitting them into a table. I also introduced the Russian verb "обожать" which can be used for loving activities, food and stuff (rather than just liking them).
More examples
You can't use любить for something you try for the first time. This is what I called "liking something in the moment", and it is always "нравиться". For "любить", you need to do do something regularly.
- Тебе нравится мой пирог? / Do you like my cake?
- Да, можно мне еще кусочек? / Yes, can I have another piece, please?
- • • •
- Ты ходил вчера в кино? / Did you go to the movies yesterday?
- Да, но фильм мне не понравился. / Yes, but I didn't like the movie.
Compare:
- Я люблю Машины пироги, они всегда очень вкусные. / I like Masha's cakes, they are always so tasty.
In this case, you can also say "Мне нравятся Машины пироги", but this is a less common usage.
Enjoy!
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