Learn Hardcore Italian: Non prendermi in giro: davvero non ho tempo oggi. - Don’t make fun of me: I really don’t have time today.

Literal sense: “to take me around/in a circle.”
Idiomatic sense: “to make fun of me,” “to tease me,” “to mess with me,” or “to pull my leg.” Depending on context, it can also mean “to fool me/lead me on.”

Why is it Non prendermi and not Non mi prendere?

In the negative imperative with tu, Italian uses non + infinitive. With this structure, clitic pronouns can go either:

attached: Non prendermi (in giro)
before: Non mi prendere (in giro) Both are common; the attached form often sounds a bit more fluid. In the affirmative imperative (no “non”), pronouns must attach: Prendimi (in giro).

Is mi reflexive here?

No. In prendere in giro qualcuno, that “someone” is a direct object, so mi here is the unstressed direct object pronoun “me.” It’s not reflexive. You can make it reflexive if the subject and object are the same: Mi prendo (da solo) in giro = “I make fun of myself,” though that’s less common than other ways of being self‑deprecating.

Why is it prendermi and not prendere mi?

Clitic pronouns attach directly to infinitives, and the infinitive drops its final -e:

prendere + mi → prendermi
dire + lo → dirlo
parlare + ne → parlarne

What does in giro add, and how else is in giro used?

In this idiom in giro is required; it’s what turns prendere into “to make fun of.” On its own, in giro means “around/out and about”:

Andiamo in giro = Let’s go around/for a walk.
C’è molta gente in giro = There are lots of people around. giro also means “turn/loop/lap/walk,” depending on context.

What are natural alternatives to Non prendermi in giro?

Non scherzare (con me). = Don’t joke around (with me).
Non fare lo spiritoso / il furbo. = Don’t be a smart‑aleck / slick.
Non prendere per il naso. = Don’t lead me by the nose (dated).
Non prendermi per il culo. = Don’t mess with me (vulgar).

How do I say it to more than one person or politely?

To more than one person (voi): Non prendetemi in giro or Non mi prendete in giro (both common). Affirmative: Prendetemi in giro.
To one person politely (Lei): Non mi prenda in giro, per favore. Affirmative: Mi prenda in giro.
Inclusive “let’s not”: Non prendiamoci in giro = Let’s not kid ourselves.

Why is there a colon, and what other punctuation could work?

The colon introduces an explanation/justification for the command: “Don’t make fun of me: I really don’t have time today.” A period also works (Non prendermi in giro. Davvero non ho tempo oggi.) or a dash. A comma is common in informal writing but weaker. Like English, Italian doesn’t put a space before a colon and uses one space after.

What does davvero do here, and where can it go? Are there near‑synonyms?

Davvero intensifies sincerity (“really/truly”). Position changes nuance:

Davvero non ho tempo oggi = “I really don’t have time today” (speaker’s insistence).
Non ho davvero tempo oggi = emphasis on the lack of time. Near‑synonyms: veramente (very close), seriamente (seriously), proprio (really/at all: Non ho proprio tempo). With strong negation: Non ho affatto tempo = “I have no time at all.”

Is non ho tempo oggi the only natural order? What about oggi non ho tempo?

Both are natural. Oggi non ho tempo foregrounds “today.” Non ho tempo oggi foregrounds the lack of time, with “today” as an add‑on.

Why is there no article before tempo?

When tempo means time as an uncountable resource/availability, Italian typically omits the article: non ho tempo. Use an article when specifying “the time needed/available”:

Non ho il tempo di/per farlo. = I don’t have the time to do it. Common patterns:
Non ho tempo di + infinitive (Non ho tempo di parlare).
Non ho tempo per + noun/pronoun (Non ho tempo per te).

How do you pronounce oggi, prendermi, giro, and davvero?

oggi: roughly “OJ‑jee” [ˈɔdːʒi] (double consonant; soft g = “j” sound).
prendermi: “PREHN‑dehr‑mee” [ˈprɛn dermi].
giro: “JEE‑roh” [ˈdʒiːro].
davvero: “dav‑VEH‑roh” [davˈveːro] (stress on the “‑vé‑”).

I’ve heard Non c’ho tempo—should I use that?

It’s colloquial/regional speech (spelled informally as c’ho), not recommended in standard writing. Prefer Non ho tempo. Note that ci ho is legitimate only when ci has its own meaning (e.g., Ci ho messo un’ora = “It took me an hour”).

Can I use mica for emphasis here?

Yes, colloquially: Non ho mica tempo oggi / Oggi non ho mica tempo = “I really don’t have time today.” In very informal speech, Mica ho tempo (oggi) occurs without non, but avoid that in formal writing.