Meaning of mai in Italian
Mai is an adverb that can be translated into English as “never” or “ever”, depending on whether the sentence is negative or a question.
Mai
Never, ever
Mai in Italian: Examples
Non ho mai dormito in tenda.
I have never slept in a tent.
Sei mai stato a Lisbona?
Have you ever been to Lisbon?
Non parlarmi mai più con quel tono!
Don’t ever speak to me in that tone of voice again!
Hai mai letto Il Signore degli Anelli?
Have you ever read The Lord of the Rings?
Giorgia non si è mai sposata.
Giorgia never got married.
Using mai in Italian
We’ve said that mai in Italian is an adverb that translates to the English adverb “never” or “ever”.
Unlike English, it’s used in negative affirmative sentences with the particle non, so you basically have a double negative.
Non ho mai mangiato in un ristorante.
I have never eaten in a restaurant.
Literally: I haven’t never eaten in a restaurant.
In questions, however, you don’t need a negative verb, unless you want to express surprise.
Hai mai guardato Zootropolis?
Have you ever watched Zootopia?
Non hai mai letto Harry Potter? Ma dove vivi?!
You have never read Harry Potter? Where have you been living?
Mai can also translate ever/never in negative imperatives, such as…
Non attraversare mai la strada senza guardare.
Never cross the road without looking.
Non arrenderti mai.
Don’t ever give up.
Mai in Italian: Expressions
There are a number of common expressions featuring mai in Italian. These are…
- mai e poi mai (never ever)
- mai dire mai (never say never)
- meglio tardi che mai (better late than never)
- ora o mai più (now or never)
- come mai? (how come?)
- non si sa mai (you never know)
More free Italian resources
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