Non barare quando giochi con i tuoi amici.

Non is the standard Italian word for not. It usually goes directly before the verb or verb phrase it negates.

So:

• barare = to cheat
• non barare = do not cheat

In this sentence, non is making the command negative.

Because this is a negative informal command addressed to one person.

In Italian, the negative imperative for tu is formed with:

• non + infinitive

So:

• Bara! = Cheat!
• Non barare! = Don’t cheat!

This is a very important pattern:

• Parla! → Non parlare!
• Mangia! → Non mangiare!
• Vai! → Non andare!

So even though barare is the infinitive, it is completely correct here.

It is talking to one person, informally.

You can tell because of:

• giochi = you play for tu
• the command pattern non + infinitive, which is the negative imperative for tu

If you were speaking to more than one person, you would say:

• Non barate quando giocate con i vostri amici.

If you were speaking formally to one person, you would say:

• Non bari quando gioca con i suoi amici.
  or more naturally as a command:
• Non bari.

Giochi is the second-person singular present tense of giocare.

The verb forms are:

• io gioco
• tu giochi
• lui/lei gioca
• noi giochiamo
• voi giocate
• loro giocano

Here, giochi means you play.

The sentence is basically saying:

• Don’t cheat when you play with your friends.

So giochi matches the person being addressed: tu.

The h is there to keep the hard c/k sound.

Without the h, gioci would not follow normal Italian spelling rules. With verbs ending in -care and -gare, the h appears before i or e to preserve the hard sound.

Compare:

• giocare
• tu giochi
• noi giochiamo

The same happens with verbs like:

• cercare → cerchi
• pagare → paghi

So the h is a spelling marker, not a separately pronounced sound.

Because Italian often uses the present tense for things that happen generally, habitually, or whenever something occurs.

So:

• quando giochi = when you play

This does not only mean right now. It can also mean:

• whenever you play
• when you are playing
• when you play in general

In English, we also often use the present in this kind of clause:

• Don’t cheat when you play with your friends.

So this is a very normal use of the present tense in Italian.

Because in Italian, possessives usually go with a definite article.

So:

• i tuoi amici = your friends
• literally: the your friends

This is normal Italian grammar.

Other examples:

• il mio libro = my book
• la tua macchina = your car
• i nostri amici = our friends

A famous exception is with many singular family members:

• mio fratello = my brother
• tua madre = your mother

But that exception does not apply here, so i tuoi amici is correct.

Tuoi means your, and it agrees with the noun it describes.

Since amici is:

• masculine
• plural

the possessive must also be masculine plural:

• tuo = your (masculine singular)
• tua = your (feminine singular)
• tuoi = your (masculine plural)
• tue = your (feminine plural)

So:

• il tuo amico = your friend
• i tuoi amici = your friends

Yes, but it is usually omitted.

You could say:

• Non barare quando tu giochi con i tuoi amici.

But Italian normally leaves out subject pronouns when they are not needed, because the verb ending already shows the subject.

Here, giochi already tells us the subject is tu.

So the version without tu sounds more natural:

• Non barare quando giochi con i tuoi amici.

Yes. Italian word order is fairly flexible, especially with clauses like this.

For example, you could also say:

• Quando giochi con i tuoi amici, non barare.

This means the same thing. The difference is mainly one of emphasis or rhythm:

• Non barare quando giochi con i tuoi amici.
  starts with the command
• Quando giochi con i tuoi amici, non barare.
  starts with the situation

Both are natural.

It is the most direct and natural choice in this context.

Barare is commonly used for cheating in:

• games
• tests
• competitions

Another verb you may see is imbrogliare, but that is broader and can mean:

• to trick
• to deceive
• to swindle
• to cheat

So in a sentence about playing with friends, barare is the best fit.

A simple pronunciation guide is:

non ba-RA-re KWAN-do GYOH-kee kon ee TWOY a-MEE-chee

A few helpful notes:

• gi in giochi sounds like the start of job
• chi sounds like kee
• amici is pronounced a-MEE-chee
• tuoi is roughly twoy

If you want to sound natural, keep the stress especially on:

• baRAre
• QUANdo
• aMIci