Ci Mancherebbe! Complete version

Ci mancherebbe, complete version, is going to complete an article I have written some months ago. In fact in the following text you will find the 2 main meanings I have already talked about plus other 2 uses of this expression.

I hope you will find useful the complete version of Ci mancherebbe! Buona lettura! :)

I wrote this article after a specific request of a student of mine, who lives and works in Italy, who was a little confused by the expression Ci Mancherebbe!. She told me once: “I often hear this expression, from my colleagues and my friends, and I understand its meaning. But I can’t find other words to say the same.”

Ci Mancherebbe is one of those expressions frequently used by Italians. And I am sure if you live in Italy or if you travel there often, you will listen to people using it!

We can attribute to Ci Mancherebbe two main meanings:

1. Ci mancherebbe as Absolutely yes, Of course!

• Mi daresti un passaggio in ufficio? Certo, ci mancherebbe! = Would you give me a ride to the office? Of course!
• Mi puoi sostituire per un’oretta? Devo fare una commissione! Ci mancherebbe altro, lo faccio volentieri! = Can you cover for me for about an hour? I have to run an errand! Of course, I do it willingly!

2. Ci mancherebbe as You are welcome!

• Grazie per avermi accompagnato in ufficio! Ci mancherebbe, è stato un piacere = Thanks for taking me to the office! You are welcome, my pleasure.
• Grazie per avermi sostituito! Ci mancherebbe altro! = Thank you for replacing me! Do not mention it!

In addition to these meanings corresponding to common Italian words, we have two more:

3. Ci mancherebbe come It’s obvious!

• Abbiamo studiato talmente tanto che ci meritiamo il massimo dei voti. Ci mancherebbe! = We studied so much that we deserve top marks. It’s obvious!
• Ho lavorato talmente tanto che devo essere ricompensato per lo sforzo fatto. Ci mancherebbe! = I worked so hard that I have to be rewarded for the effort. It’s obvious!

Sometimes Ci Mancherebbe can also be used sharply and scornfully. For example, imagine that someone, by accident, squashes your favorite shoe, ruining it and hurting you. This person could say:

• Scusa, non volevo pestarti i piedi! = I am sorry, I didn’t meant to! And your answer could be: Obviously!

4. Ci mancherebbe as I don’t want to think about this eventuality!

In this case, Ci Mancherebbe! can mean I don’t want to think about this eventuality, This idea is out of the question, and it is clearly used to ward off something.

• Speriamo che quest’aereo non cada durante il volo. Ci mancherebbe! = I hope this plane won’t fall during the flight. I don’t want to think about this eventuality!
• Chiama il dentista altrimenti perderai tutti i denti! Ci mancherebbe! = Call the dentist otherwise you will lose all your teeth! We would miss it! This won’t happen!

Conclusion

As you have noticed from this article, it is very easy to come across the expression Ci Mancherebbe! 

To learn how to use this expression, I recommend you to practice by writing sentences, giving each phrase a different meaning. This is a way to use this expression in context. Try it too and let me know what you think!

Leave your comment and if you enjoyed this article called Ci mancherebbe! Versione completa share it!

Follow me on my socials: