Italian Word Speed Dates: Appunto & Magari

Magari fosse vero!

You know when you’re having a conversation with a friend and they say something that is completely on point with what you were talking about?

You can’t help but exclaim “Exactly!”

Or what about this scenario? A friend suggests that you should move to Italy if you love it so much, and you wistfully say “I wish!”

You would express these two concepts in Italian using the wonderful words “appunto” and “magari”, respectively.

But their usages don’t end there.

In fact, these two words are incredibly diverse and useful for everyday conversation, and I’m going to share exactly how to use them with you.

Round #1: Appunto

First things first, what are the definitions of “appunto”?

— Indeed

— Exactly

— Logically

—Like I was saying

— More precisely

— As already stated

— Yes

Synonyms in Italian:

— Proprio

— Esattamente

— Esplicitamente

USAGE #1: To refer back to something you’ve already mentioned

— Hai sentito parlare dei flashcard SRS? Studiare i flashcard, appunto quelli di SRS, è il modo più efficace per imparare un’altra lingua. – Have you heard about SRS flashcards? Studying flashcards, the SRS ones (already stated), is the most effective way to learn another language.

—Infatti oggi è Natale, il giorno creato dalla chiesa appunto per soppiantare quel giorno pagano, e c’è un bel clima festivo nell’aria. – In fact, today is Christmas, more precisely the day created by the church to replace that pagan holiday, and there is a nice festive atmosphere.