How to Say ‘You really shouldn't have.’ in Italian
Non dovevi.
non doh-VEH-vee
[non doh-VEH-vee]
🇮🇹 In Italy: This is the standard polite reaction when someone brings a gift, even if the gift is welcome. It's not usually a real reproach; it's more like "that was so kind, you didn't need to."
Phrase Breakdown
Non
[non]
not
Negative word used to make the sentence negative.
Non dovevi portare niente, davvero.
You did not need to bring anything, really.
dovevi
[doh-VEH-vee]
you should not have / you didn't have to
Imperfect of 'dovere'; in this context it politely means 'you shouldn't have.'
Davvero, dovevi solo venire a trovarci.
Really, you only needed to come visit us.
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