Have you ever heard this Italian word before?
You must know that this word is essential in the Italian language, as with just one word you can express so many things!
Usually, it is used in speaking and in informal situations as well.
Let's see 7 different situations in which you want to use it!
1. If you want to express your strong wish about something, you can say: Magari! to mean I really hope so! / I wish! / If only!
e.g.
A: Vedrai che ti chiameranno per il colloquio finale! (You will see they are going to call you for the final interview!)
B: Magari! (I wish!) (If only!) (I really hope so!)
2. But you can also use this word when someone offers you something you really want. Like you are really craving for it. So, to stress how much you want that thing, you use magari. In this case, more than expressing a wish, it expresses a great desire for something!
e.g.
A: Ti andrebbe una cioccolata calda? (Would you like a cup of hot chocolate?)
B: Magari! (You bet!) (Yes, please!)
3. But depending on the context, you can use this expression also to mean that something is very unlikely to happen.
e.g.
Magari vincessi la lotteria! (If only I could win the lottery!) (I wish I could win the lottery!) We can use it to talk about something very hypothetical.
In this case, we just want the word magari to be followed by the Italian subjunctive mood.
Here the verb is vincessi which comes from the verb vincere (to win). (If only I could win the lottery!)
4. But in the middle between desiring something very hard on the one hand, and recognizing that something instead is very improbable on the other hand, there is room for us to make conjectures about something we really hope to succeed with. So, when we are not sure about the outcome of our actions, we are hopeful anyway.
e.g.
Magari riusciremo a raggiungerli prima delle 21:00. (Hopefully we will manage to reach them by 9:00 pm.)
5. Another meaning this word can assume is maybe.
They are specially combined together with a conditional to express an idea or make suggestions.
e.g.
Magari potrei chiedergli di uscire! (Maybe, I could ask him out!)
So, we use it when we think about doing something that is likely to take place. I know what you are thinking.
This word is crazy!
Sometimes it expresses something unlikely and sometimes something likely to happen. I know, guys, but the more you hear it the more you will get used to it.
What you really must be aware of each time you hear this word, is the situation and the context! These two elements will help you understand what your interlocutor is trying to communicate through this word.
Magari vincessi! → Unlikely to happen.
Magari potrei chiedergli di uscire! → This is an idea that is likely to happen.
6. But this is not all!
We also use it as a synonym of the Italian word forse (again, maybe) but with a different meaning from the maybe we have just seen.
This time it means we are in doubt and not sure about the effectiveness of something. So basically, when we make conjectures.
e.g.
A: Doveva essere qui alle 22:00. (He should have been here at 10:00 pm.) B: Magari ha trovato traffico venendo qui (Maybe he got stuck in the traffic on his way here)
7. And lastly, you will use magari to answer sarcastically to someone’s conjectures. In this case, it assumes the meaning of as if.
Very similar to Sì, certo!, but sarcastically said.
e.g.
A: Sento che quest’anno avremo una promozione! (I got the feeling that this year we are going to have a promotion at work!)
B: Sì, magari! (As if!)
You see now how many meanings this word can assume?
Write me down in the comment section a little sentence using this magic word! Good! That’s all for today’s lesson.
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