Learn Italian: I tarocchi sono magici? Non lo credo. - Are tarot cards magical? I do not believe it.

I tarocchi sono magici? Non lo credo.

Are tarot cards magical? I do not believe it.

Breakdown of I tarocchi sono magici? Non lo credo.

him/it (direct object)

credere

to believe

Questions & Answers about I tarocchi sono magici? Non lo credo.

Why is the word lo used in the second sentence?

Here, lo is acting as a "pro-clausal" pronoun. This means it replaces an entire preceding statement or idea, rather than just a single masculine noun. In this case, lo replaces the whole idea that tarot cards are magical. So, Non lo credo translates directly to "I do not believe it (that they are magical)."

In English, we often just say "I don't think so." Can I just say Non credo without lo?

Yes, you can! Non credo (without the lo) is very common and is the natural equivalent of "I don't think so" or "I don't believe so." Adding lo makes your statement slightly more specific, pointing explicitly back to the exact claim that was just made: "I don't believe that specific thing."

If I didn't use lo and wanted to spell out the whole thought, how would I say "I don't believe that tarot cards are magical"?

You would need to use the subjunctive mood because the verb credere (to believe) expresses an opinion or doubt. You would say: Non credo che i tarocchi siano magici. Using the pro-clausal lo is actually a handy trick to avoid having to build that full subjunctive sentence!

Why is tarocchi plural? Doesn't "tarot" refer to a single deck?