immagino
The English phrase "I guess" is expressed in Italian as immagino.
immagino is used to express a tentative conclusion or a belief based on probability.
What does it mean word for word?
immagino is the first-person singular present indicative of the verb immaginare, which literally means "to imagine".
Which one should you use?
While immagino is used for a tentative guess, the word suppongo is used when the guess is based more heavily on logical deduction or evidence.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
To say "I guess so" in response to a question, it is common and natural to use the informal phrase credo di sì.
How does it change in a sentence?
When immagino is followed by a clause, it is often paired with che and requires the subjunctive mood in the following verb. For example, immagino che means "I guess that".
Did you know?
- In fast spoken Italian, immagino is often used as a one-word exclamation to mean 'I bet' or 'no doubt', functioning as a confirmation rather than a tentative guess.
- The word immaginare is a distant relative of the English word 'imagine', but it also shares a root with the word 'image', coming from the Latin imago meaning 'copy' or 'ghost'.
- While immagino can be a guess, Italians often use the phrase me lo immagino to express empathy, similar to saying 'I can imagine that' when someone describes a difficult situation.
Examples in context
- Io immagino sia vero.I guess that's true.Tatoeba #4475410 by Guybrush88, translation #2330087 by CK
- Immagino che vada bene.I guess it's OK.Tatoeba #5151967 by Guybrush88, translation #2330069 by CK
- Immagino sia un segreto.I guess it's a secret.Tatoeba #6861395 by Guybrush88, translation #2330067 by CK
- Credo che il treno arrivi alle 17:30.I guess the train arrives at 5:30 p.m.
- Credo che Claudia abbia ragione.I think Claudia is right.
- Penso che tu abbia ragione.I guess you are right.
- Penso che arriveremo in ritardo.I think we will arrive late.
- Direi che ci vedremo domani.I guess we'll see each other tomorrow.
- Direi che fa ancora freddo.I think it's still cold.
- Boh, forse passerò da casa tua dopo il lavoro.I don't know, maybe I'll come by your place after work.
- Non so cosa fare stasera… Boh, vediamo.I don't know what to do tonight… I guess we'll see.
- Mi sa che pioverà domani.I guess it will rain tomorrow.
- Mi sa che abbiamo perso il treno.I think we missed the train.
- 176 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a colleague's whereabouts.
- MatteoDove si trova Marco?Where is Marco?
- ChiaraImmagino sia già in ufficio.I guess he is already at the office.
- MatteoPensi che sia in ritardo?Do you think he is late?
- ChiaraSì, immagino di sì.Yes, I guess so.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
