Tu pensi che non immagineresti mai di suicidarti?

English Original Sentence

Do you think you would ever consider suicide?

I think the Italian non … mai means never, not ever. :thinking:

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Hmm, a full-on question in several ways. Allora, I’m thinking that non mai here can mean “not ever” but I’ll join you here @morbrorper :wink:

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Maybe my English is not good enough, but I think it is more a question about English usage than about translation:
“Do you think you would never consider suicide” sounds clumsily to me (immagination + “never”) so “ever” is this case transfers the meaning of the Italian sentence better.
With “never” the sentence is somewhat suggestive:
“Are you so cocksure that you think you would never consider suicide?”

By the way, it is the same in German:
“Glaubst Du, Du würdest jemals Selbstmord in Betracht ziehen” is much more fitting to most situatons than " …niemals …"

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Two consideration:

  • The Italian sentence is clumsy, and not a good translation of the English sentence. “Pensi di poter mai prendere in considerazione il suicidio?” Is closer an better overall.
  • As you see in my translation, I still used “mai”. In comparative sentences, or when doubting or questioning “mai” works as “ever” in English. I don’t think there is a great difference in meaning between non mai" and “mai”. Adding “Non” may be a bit more emphatic.
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