mai

never

adverb MAH-ee Common

Origin: From Latin magis (more) via Vulgar Latin.

Also means

ever

Usage Note

Mai means 'never' when paired with non: non mangio mai carne = I never eat meat. Without non, it means 'ever': hai mai visto questo film? = have you ever seen this film? This double function is a classic false-friend trap for English speakers who expect 'never' to always require a negative marker.

Examples

"Non ho mai visitato Venezia."

Natural Translation

I have never visited Venice.

Literal Translation

Not I-have never visited Venice.

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