forse is 'vielleicht'
(English: maybe, perhaps)
'magari' is used with the following meanings:
m1) meaning of 'it might be', as in: 'magari domani piove'
m2) to express a wish about something you really desire or is very important, and
that might actually happen, like in:
'magari cadesse un po` di neve ancora', potremo tornare a sciare, che ne dici?
m3) to express something you have a very deep desire for, but you also have
reasons to believe that to be highly improbable or maybe even impossible, unless
many things change.
Example:
magari tornasse da me, ormai si e` risposata (risposata: she got married again)
m4) with a meaning of heavy warning towards somebody who does not realize he is
asking you too much out of your courtesy.
I hope to make the meaning (m4) clear with the following dialogue:
A) Thanks for allowing me to borrow some of your books.
B) You are welcome, pick one or two that could be useful for your studies.
(B leaves the room where the books are, and comes back after a while )
B) What is that tall pile of books on the table?
A) These are the books that I intend to borrow from you.
B) Bravo! Ma sono almeno venti libri mi sembra, e magari vorresti anche la
mia macchina per portarli a casa? (Ironic meaning, very clear because of 'magari')
A) Forse ho esagerato, scusami , non ho resistito.
Notes:
the meaning (m1) wants 'modo indicativo'
the meanings (m2), (m3) want 'modo congiuntivo'
The meaning (m4) wants 'modo condizionale'.
(m4) is kind of difficult, due to the fact that it is seldom used,
nevertheless its meaning is very precise.
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Exercise:
Magari potessi imparare la musica mangiando gli spartiti stampati su carta alimentare.
Che 'm' e` la frase precedente?