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How to Say ‘Act like you don't know, please!’ in Italian

Fai finta di niente, mi raccomando!

fy FEEN-tah dee NYEHN-teh mee rahk-koh-MAHN-doh

[fy FEEN-tah dee NYEHN-teh mee rahk-koh-MAHN-doh]

💬 Usage Tip: mi raccomando "I'm counting on you" tacked onto a request adds urgency, roughly like "please, I mean it".

Phrase Breakdown

Fai finta di niente,

fy FEEN-tah dee NYEHN-teh

Act as if nothing happened,

An idiom for playing dumb or keeping a secret. Pause at the comma.

Example

Se lo vedi, fai finta di niente.

If you see him, act normal.

Words in this phrase

Fai

[fy]

make / do (you)

Informal command of 'fare'; in 'fai finta' it means pretend.

Example

Fai attenzione!

Be careful!

finta

[FEEN-tah]

pretence

Used in 'fare finta', to pretend.

Example

Fa finta di dormire.

He pretends to sleep.

[dee]

(links verb phrase)

Preposition linking 'fare finta' to what is pretended.

Example

Faccio finta di non sapere.

I pretend not to know.

niente

[NYEHN-teh]

nothing

Used to indicate the absence of anything.

Example

Non c'è niente qui.

There is nothing here.

mi raccomando!

mee rahk-koh-MAHN-doh

I'm counting on you!

This adds urgency and care to a request. Say 'rac-co-MAN-do'.

Example

Non fare tardi, mi raccomando!

Don't be late, I mean it!

Words in this phrase

[mee]

to me

Indirect object pronoun meaning to me; used to express personal reaction.

Example

Nella frase Mi fa piacere, Mi indica la persona che prova la sensazione.

In the phrase 'Mi fa piacere,' 'Mi' indicates the person feeling the emotion.

raccomando

[rahk-koh-MAHN-doh]

I urge / please

'Mi raccomando' means 'I'm counting on you, please'.

Example

Torna presto, mi raccomando!

Come back soon, please!

Guides for Italian learners

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