Introduction to gefallen, schmecken & passen

In English, "I like something" is straightforward — you are the subject, the thing you like is the object. German has a family of verbs that work the exact opposite way: the thing you like becomes the grammatical subject, and you become the dative object. Das gefällt mir literally says "that pleases to me" — the thing does the pleasing, you receive it. This reversal confuses almost every learner at first, but once the logic clicks, it unlocks a large family of natural, high-frequency German expressions.

Why These Verbs Matter

They are extremely high frequency: Gefällt es dir? Schmeckt es gut? Das passt nicht — these appear in every social interaction. Not knowing them means not understanding a large chunk of everyday German.
The subject/object reversal is systematic: Once you understand that the thing is the subject and the person is the dative object, the rule applies identically across all verbs in this family: gefallen, schmecken, passen, gehören, fehlen, helfen, schaden and more.
The verb agrees with the thing, not the person: Because the thing is the subject, the verb conjugates to match it — not to match the person. Die Musik gefällt mir (singular subject) vs. Die Bücher gefallen mir (plural subject). This surprises learners who expect the verb to agree with mir.
Wie gefällt Ihnen...? is an essential social phrase: Asking someone how they like something — a city, a meal, a film — is a constant part of German conversation. Getting the structure right is a social basic.

Understanding Dative Verbs of Liking

The Core Reversal

The fundamental difference between mögen and gefallen:

	mögen (normal structure)	gefallen (reversed structure)
Subject (nominative)	The person — Ich	The thing — Das Buch
Object	The thing (accusative) — das Buch	The person (dative) — mir
Example	Ich mag das Buch.	Das Buch gefällt mir.
Literal meaning	I like the book.	The book pleases to me.
Verb agrees with	ich (1st person)	das Buch (3rd person singular)

gefallen — To Please / To Like (Appearance, Overall Impression)

Gefallen is used when you are expressing that something makes a positive impression on you — its looks, style, design, or overall quality. It is particularly natural for aesthetic reactions:

German	English	What is liked
Das gefällt mir.	I like that. / That pleases me.	General reaction to something seen
Wie gefällt dir die Stadt?	How do you like the city?	Aesthetic/overall impression of a place
Der Film hat mir gut gefallen.	I really liked the film.	Overall impression of an experience
Die Wohnung gefällt uns sehr.	We really like the flat.	Aesthetic impression of a space
Es gefällt mir nicht, wie er spricht.	I don't like the way he speaks.	Reaction to behaviour or manner

The Full Dative Pronoun Set with gefallen

The person who likes something is always in the dative:

Person	Dative pronoun	Example
ich	mir	Das gefällt mir.
du	dir	Gefällt dir das?
er / sie / es	ihm / ihr / ihm	Das gefällt ihm sehr.
wir	uns	Das gefällt uns nicht.
ihr	euch	Gefällt euch das Hotel?
sie / Sie	ihnen / Ihnen	Wie gefällt Ihnen Berlin?

Verb Agreement — The Thing is the Subject

Because the thing liked is the grammatical subject, the verb must agree with it in number — not with the dative person:

Subject (the thing)	Verb form	Example
Singular — der Film	gefällt	Der Film gefällt mir.
Plural — die Filme	gefallen	Die Filme gefallen mir.
Singular — das Lied	gefällt	Das Lied gefällt ihr.
Plural — die Lieder	gefallen	Die Lieder gefallen ihr.

schmecken — To Taste Good / To Like the Taste

Schmecken follows the exact same structure as gefallen but specifically for taste:

German	English	Note
Das Essen schmeckt mir gut.	The food tastes good to me. / I like the food.	schmeckt — singular subject das Essen
Wie schmeckt dir der Kaffee?	How do you like the coffee?	Asking for a taste reaction
Die Suppe hat mir nicht geschmeckt.	I didn't like the soup.	Perfekt — hat geschmeckt
Schmeckt es euch?	Do you (all) like it?	Common question at the dinner table

Note: Schmecken can also be used without a dative when simply describing taste: Das schmeckt gut / süß / bitter (it tastes good / sweet / bitter) — no dative needed in this impersonal use.

passen — To Suit / To Fit

Passen follows the same structure for suitability — the thing that suits or fits someone is the subject, the person is dative:

German	English	Note
Das Kleid passt mir gut.	The dress suits me well / fits me well.	Physical fit or aesthetic suitability
Der Termin passt mir nicht.	The appointment doesn't suit me.	Scheduling suitability
Passt dir Montag?	Does Monday work for you?	Very common in scheduling conversations
Das passt nicht zu diesem Outfit.	That doesn't go with this outfit.	passen + zu = to go with / match

Other Key Verbs in This Family

Many more verbs follow the same dative logic — the thing or situation is the subject, the person is dative:

Verb	Meaning	Example
gehören	to belong to	Das Buch gehört mir. (The book belongs to me.)
fehlen	to be missing / to miss	Du fehlst mir. (I miss you. / You are missing to me.)
helfen	to help	Er hilft mir. (He helps me.)
schaden	to harm	Das schadet dir. (That harms you.)
nützen / nutzen	to benefit / be of use	Das nützt mir nichts. (That's of no use to me.)
auffallen	to stand out / to notice	Das fällt mir auf. (I notice that.)

The Special Case of fehlen — "I Miss You"

Du fehlst mir is one of the most important and most misunderstood expressions in German. The structure is exactly reversed from English: in German, the person you miss is the subject, and you are the dative object:

German	Literal	Natural English
Du fehlst mir.	You are missing to me.	I miss you.
Er fehlt ihr.	He is missing to her.	She misses him.
Meine Familie fehlt mir.	My family is missing to me.	I miss my family.

Step-by-Step Guide

Identify the thing being liked, tasted, or suited — this becomes the grammatical subject (nominative).
Identify the person doing the liking — this becomes the dative object.
Conjugate the verb to match the subject (the thing) — singular thing → gefällt/schmeckt/passt; plural things → gefallen/schmecken/passen.
Use the correct dative pronoun for the person: mir, dir, ihm, ihr, uns, euch, ihnen, Ihnen.
For fehlen: the person you miss is the subject; you are the dative object.

Pro Tip: Whenever you want to say you like something with *gefallen*, try mentally translating it as "it pleases me" first — that flips your thinking into the German structure. "I like the city" → "the city pleases me" → Die Stadt gefällt mir.

Memory Pattern: In English, you reach out and grab what you like — you are the subject. In German with *gefallen*, the thing comes to you — it pleases you. The thing is active, you are the passive recipient. Flip the arrow.

Key Examples

German	English	Note
Das Buch gefällt mir sehr.	I really like the book.	gefällt — singular subject, mir = dative of ich
Ich mag das Buch sehr.	I really like the book.	mögen — normal structure, ich = subject, das Buch = accusative
Wie gefällt dir die neue Wohnung?	How do you like the new flat?	gefällt — singular, dir = dative of du
Die Schuhe passen mir nicht.	The shoes don't fit me.	passen — plural subject, mir = dative
Passt dir Freitag?	Does Friday suit you?	passt — singular subject (Freitag), dir = dative
Das Essen schmeckt mir ausgezeichnet.	The food tastes excellent to me.	schmeckt — singular subject, mir = dative
Schmecken euch die Nudeln?	Do you (all) like the pasta?	schmecken — plural subject (die Nudeln), euch = dative plural
Du fehlst mir so sehr.	I miss you so much.	fehlst — du = subject, mir = dative. Completely reversed from English.
Das Kleid steht dir wunderbar.	The dress looks wonderful on you.	stehen = to suit / look good on (same dative structure)
Der Film hat uns allen gut gefallen.	We all really liked the film.	gefallen — Perfekt; uns allen = dative, subject is der Film (singular → hat gefallen)

Common Mistakes

Mistake 1: Ich gefalle das Buch.
- Fix: With *gefallen*, the thing liked is the subject — never the person. Say Das Buch gefällt mir. The person goes in the dative, not the nominative. *Gefallen* cannot take a direct accusative object.
Mistake 2: Die Bücher gefällt mir.
- Fix: The verb agrees with its subject — the thing liked. *Die Bücher* is plural, so the verb must be plural: Die Bücher gefallen mir. The dative *mir* does not affect the verb form.
Mistake 3: Ich vermisse dich.
- Fix: While *vermissen* exists and is grammatically correct, the more natural and widely used expression in German is *Du fehlst mir*. *Vermissen* is used but sounds slightly more formal or intense. In everyday speech, *fehlst mir* is the norm.
Mistake 4: Wie gefällt dir Berlin?
- Fix: When asking a group informally, use euch: Wie gefällt euch Berlin? When asking formally (one or more people), use Ihnen: Wie gefällt Ihnen Berlin?
Nuance 1: gefallen vs. mögen — when to use which.
- Fix: Both express liking but with different nuance. *Mögen* expresses general fondness for a person, food, or thing: Ich mag Jazz. *Gefallen* expresses that something makes a positive impression — typically aesthetic or experiential: Das Konzert hat mir gut gefallen. For people, mögen is warmer and more personal; gefallen can imply physical attraction or admiration.

Cultural Insights

Wie gefällt Ihnen...? — the standard hospitality question: Asking visitors, guests, or colleagues how they like something is a deeply ingrained social practice in German-speaking countries. Wie gefällt Ihnen Wien?, Wie gefällt Ihnen das Zimmer?, Schmeckt es Ihnen? — these are expressions of genuine interest and hospitality. Knowing how to answer them naturally (Es gefällt mir sehr / Es schmeckt wunderbar) is a basic social skill.
Du fehlst mir — emotional weight: Du fehlst mir carries significant emotional weight in German — more so than a casual "I miss you" in English. It is used for genuine longing — for people, sometimes for places. In letters, messages, and personal conversation, it is one of the most emotionally loaded phrases in the language. The reversal (the other person is the active subject, you are the passive recipient of the absence) actually mirrors the psychological experience of missing someone very precisely.

Practice Scenarios

Reacting to experiences: Expressing how you found a film, meal, or city, e.g., Der Film hat mir sehr gut gefallen — aber das Essen hat mir weniger geschmeckt. (I really liked the film — but I liked the food less.)
- Das hat mir gut gefallen. (I liked that.)
- Es hat mir nicht so gut gefallen. (I didn't like it so much.)
- Wie hat es dir geschmeckt? (How did you like the taste?)
Hosting and being hosted: Asking and answering how guests are finding things, e.g., Schmeckt es Ihnen? — Ja, ausgezeichnet, vielen Dank! (Are you enjoying the food? — Yes, excellent, thank you!)
- Schmeckt es Ihnen / dir? (Are you enjoying it?)
- Wie gefällt Ihnen das Zimmer? (How do you like the room?)
- Passt Ihnen der Termin? (Does the appointment suit you?)
Making plans: Using passen for scheduling, e.g., Passt dir Dienstag? — Dienstag passt mir leider nicht, aber Mittwoch wäre gut. (Does Tuesday work for you? — Tuesday doesn't work for me unfortunately, but Wednesday would be good.)
- Passt dir...? (Does ... work for you?)
- Das passt mir gut / nicht. (That works / doesn't work for me.)
- Wann passt es dir? (When works for you?)

Follow-Up Questions

Why does the verb agree with the thing and not with the person in gefallen sentences?
- Example Answer: Because the thing liked is the grammatical subject of the sentence. In German, verbs always agree with their subject. In Das Buch gefällt mir, das Buch is the subject — so the verb is third person singular gefällt. In Die Bücher gefallen mir, die Bücher is plural — so the verb is gefallen. The dative mir never affects the verb form.
How do you say "I miss you" in German?
- Example Answer: Du fehlst mir — literally "you are missing to me." The person missed is the subject, and the person doing the missing is in the dative. This is the natural, everyday expression. Ich vermisse dich exists but is more formal or intense.
What is the difference between Das schmeckt gut and Das schmeckt mir gut?
- Example Answer: Das schmeckt gut is an impersonal statement about the taste — it tastes good (in general). Das schmeckt mir gut adds the personal dative — it tastes good to me, I like it. The dative makes it personal and subjective. Both are correct, but the dative version expresses personal preference.

Conclusion

The dative verbs of liking — gefallen, schmecken, passen and their family — work on a reversed subject/object structure that has no equivalent in English. The person doing the liking is always dative; the thing liked is always the grammatical subject; the verb always agrees with the thing. Once this reversal is internalised, these verbs become natural and the social phrases built around them — Wie gefällt Ihnen...?, Schmeckt es dir?, Passt dir Montag? — become the fluent, confident expressions they deserve to be.

Practice Makes Perfect

The exercises focus on identifying the correct subject, choosing the right verb form, and using the correct dative pronoun — all three must be right simultaneously for the sentence to work.