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Magari fossi invisibile in queste situazioni difficili!

Magari fossi invisibile in queste situazioni difficili!
If only I were invisible in these difficult situations!
From Lesson 233:Unfulfilled wishes (magari)·Italian

Questions & Answers about Magari fossi invisibile in queste situazioni difficili!

Why does this sentence use fossi (the imperfect subjunctive) instead of a regular present or past tense?
When magari is followed by the imperfect subjunctive, it expresses an unfulfilled wish or a strong desire for something to be different right now. Instead of meaning "maybe," here magari fossi translates to "if only I were" or "I wish I were."
Does fossi mean "I were" or "you were"?
It can actually be both! The imperfect subjunctive forms for io and tu are identical (both are fossi for the verb essere). Here, the context makes it clear the speaker is talking about themselves, but you could add the pronoun and say magari io fossi if you needed to avoid confusion.
Why is it queste situazioni if situazioni ends in -i? Doesn't that usually mean it is masculine?
Not always! Nouns ending in -zione, like situazione, are feminine. In the plural, the singular -e ending changes to -i (situazioni), but the word remains feminine. That is why it takes the feminine plural demonstrative adjective queste.
Why does difficili end in -i if it is describing the feminine noun situazioni?
The singular form of this adjective is difficile. Adjectives that end in -e in the singular do not have separate masculine and feminine forms. They simply change to -i in the plural for both genders, making difficili the correct plural form here.

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