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12 April, 2020 1:49 pm

Italian sayings: the word "dai!"

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We have a quick look today at the word, or rather onomatopoeic expression, of “dai”.
It’s a subtle word and its meaning changes depending entirely on inflection, tone and volume.
A quick list below.
Dai” said with an irritated tone can mean “enough” or “stop it”.
It can also mean “come on” in all its many forms – impatience, encouragement and the gritted teeth of effort or tension if you’re following you favourite football team in that moment and it’s about time they scored a goal.

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“Ma dai” can indicate mild suprise, incredulity or even suspicion that your interlocutor is pulling your leg.
It can be a kind of “as if” or “stop having me on”.
Dai” send with a lowered tone and widened eyes will often be found in gossip and can mean “tell me more”!These are just a few of its many uses, but before you go peppering your conversation with “dai” I suggest you practice it at home.

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Short words can often be misinterpreted and you may find yourself expressing more enthusiasm for something than you intended, or involved in village gossip that’s hard to follow in a foreign language.

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