#159: The adverb, mica
The adverb, mica, is a useful one, and, if you can understand its usage, will make you sound more like a native speaker. Mica is used more in the north of Italy than elsewhere in Italy, but it is still a useful expression to know, and you might hear it used throughout Italy. It is heard more often than it is seen. It is also very colloquial and informal and should be avoided in your writing.
You will also find that mica is used differently throughout Italy, but below are some general guidelines on its usage. Below are some rules and tips regarding its usage:
Mica is an adverb. Remember that adverbs modify other adverbs, adjectives and verbs. Adverbs never modify nouns, and this will help in understanding its usage.
Mica can be used with non to reinforce the negative. It is difficult to translate, but can mean in the least or at all. With these examples below, t the usage will become clearer:
Monica mi ha detto delle cose orribili. Ma non sono mica offesa.
Monica said some horrible things to me. But I am not offended in the least.
Miriam non riesce a pagare oggi. La sua amica non era mica arrabbiata.
Miriamo is unable to pay you today. Her friend was not at all angry.
Il biglietto non era mica costoso. Te l’ho comprato.
The ticket wasn’t expensive at all. I bought it for you!
Mica can precede adjectives or adverbs to provide a negation or in place of non before the verb. Remember that these type of constructions are very colloquial in nature:
Ti è piaciuto il film?
Did you like the film?Mica tanto. Era noioso e troppo lungo.
Not much. It was boring and too long.
Ciao, Emilio! Come va?
Hey, Emilio! How’s it going?Mica male! E tu?
Not bad! And you?
Mica è corretto inquinare il mare!
It is not at all right to pollute the sea!
Mica noioso quel attore!
That actor is not boring in the least!
Mica can be used in negative questions with the meaning, by any chance; when the subject is a pronoun, it cannot be omitted (as in the first example below):
Qualcuno mi ha telefonato ieri notte mentre dormivo. Non sei mica stato tu?
Someone phoned me last night while I was sleeping. It wasn’t you by any chance?
Tua madre non ha mica comprato una nuova macchina?
Your mother didn’t buy that new car by any chance?
Try to use mica in your informal writings and conversation! If you have a question on its usage, post your example as a comment, and I’ll provide some feedback.
last updated: 11 May 2011
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Interesting post. I was wondering how this word contrasts with ‘affatto’. Do they mean the same thing?
Hi there!
I asked my Italian friends about the differences between “affatto” and “mica”. I hope that I can interpret their answers in a cogent way. Please let me know if this doesn’t make sense.
They told me that they are not synonymous. Affatto is used in situations where one is sure or decided about the action or situation, whereas mica leaves open the possibilities.
Affatto must be accompanied by a non. Affatto can also be used by itself to mean “not at all” in response to questions in which the opposite is true:
Ti do fastidio con tutte le mie domande?
I am bothering you with all of my questions?
Affatto!
Not at all
Mica on the other hand can replace non in certain situations – making a sentence negative with non being understood and not necessarily present.
Your question was a good one, and I will try to update the post above to provide clearer examples.
Hi Keith,
I dont quite understand the sentence: Monica mi ha detta delle cose orribili.
Why "dettA", not "dettO".
And also why "delle cose", not "le cose" without "delle"?
Thank you
Monica mi ha detta delle cose orribili. Ma non sono mica offesa.
Hi there!
1. It's detta because the past participles agree with the gender/number of direct object pronoun (although it's optional with mi) — if you read further on, the person speaking is a woman (non sono mica offesa).
2. "Delle cose" is the partitive = it means "some things"; "le cose" = the things
When you say "delle cose" you're implying an unspecific number of "things" were said; whereas if you say, "le cose" you're specifying a more specific number of things, or in this case, "le cose" might refer to specific things already told to the speaker previously. "Delle cose" implies that she told you a bunch of "things", but only some of them were horrible.
I hope that makes sense!
hmmm…but i thought that if we use "essere" then only the verb changes the ending to "o" or "a"?
This is passatto prossimo with "avere", right?
Thanks for the explanation about "delle", it is very clear now.
Now i understand. Many thanks. Wonderful site!
Hi there!
See this lesson about past participle agreement:
http://ilgur.com/2006/11/27/lesson-68-agreement-of-the-past-participle-in-the-passato-prossimo-accordo-del-participio-passato-nel-passato-prossimo/
Hi,
Does the page below still exist?
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28 October 2009 at 2:13 PM
Hi there!
See this lesson about past participle agreement:
http://www.ilgur.com/2006/11/agreement-of-past-participle-in-passato.html
Yes, it can be found here: http://ilgur.com/2006/11/27/lesson-68-agreement-of-the-past-participle-in-the-passato-prossimo-accordo-del-participio-passato-nel-passato-prossimo/