нра́вится vs ка́жется
nravitsya vs kazhetsya — likes/pleases vs seems
Register: neutral
What it really means
Нра́вится means “is pleasing” and expresses liking. Russian puts the liked thing in the nominative and the person who likes it in the dative: Мне нра́вится э́та пе́сня, literally “this song is pleasing to me.” Use нра́вятся with a plural liked subject, and distinguish it from English-style “I like” word order.
Ка́жется means “seems,” “appears,” or “I think,” and presents an impression rather than a positive feeling. It can be impersonal—Ка́жется, дождь идёт (“It seems it is raining”)—or agree with a subject: Мне ка́жется, что он пра́в (“It seems to me that he is right”). The two can occur together: Мне ка́жется, что ей нра́вится фильм.
Examples in natural speech
Мне нра́вится э́та пе́сня.
I like this song.
Ему́ нра́вятся ру́сские фи́льмы.
He likes Russian films.
Мне ка́жется, что он уста́л.
It seems to me that he is tired.
Ка́жется, мы заблуди́лись.
It seems we are lost.
Ей ка́жется, что э́та иде́я ей нра́вится.
She thinks she likes this idea.
Common mistakes
Do not say я нра́влюсь кни́гу for “I like a book”: say мне нра́вится кни́га. Keep the liked thing in the nominative and the liker in the dative. Ка́жется is about an impression, not a synonym for “like.”
Memory tip
Нра́вится says something pleases you; ка́жется says something appears true to you.
Frequently asked questions
Why is “I” not the subject with нравится?
The construction literally says “the song is pleasing to me,” so the liked thing is nominative and the experiencer is dative: мне.
When do I use нравится versus нравятся?
Use нра́вится with one liked item or an infinitive, and нра́вятся with plural liked items: Мне нра́вится кни́га; мне нра́вятся кни́ги.
Can кажется mean “I think”?
Yes. Мне ка́жется, что... is a cautious way to say “I think/seem to me that...,” while ка́жется alone often means “it seems.”
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