Learn Italian: Magari ne uscissimo presto! - If only we got out of there soon!

Here, ne is a locative clitic meaning 'from there' or 'out of it'. It replaces a prepositional phrase indicating origin, usually starting with da (from). Because the verb uscire means to exit or to go out, adding ne specifies that we are going out of that specific place.

Why is the verb uscissimo in the imperfect subjunctive?

The word magari triggers the imperfect subjunctive when it is used to express a strong wish or hope that might be difficult to achieve. Even though uscissimo is technically a past tense form, this grammatical structure is used to talk about a wish for the present or the future.

I thought magari meant maybe. Why does it mean 'if only' here?

The word magari changes meaning depending on the verb mood that follows it. When followed by a normal indicative verb, it means maybe or probably. But when followed by a subjunctive verb, like uscissimo, it transforms into an exclamation meaning 'I wish' or 'if only'.

Why does ne come before the verb instead of attaching to the end?

Because uscissimo is a conjugated verb, the clitic pronoun ne must be placed directly before it. You only attach clitics to the end of a verb if the verb is in the infinitive form, a gerund, or a positive command.