anzi
/AHN-tsee/ · adverb / conjunction
actually / on the contrary / rather
look it up on WordReference ↗In context
Non mi dà fastidio, anzi, mi fa piacere.
It doesn't bother me — on the contrary, I'm glad.
Anzi is the word for the elegant U-turn. It corrects or intensifies what you just said, usually flipping it in a more positive direction.
"Non sono stanco, anzi!" — I'm not tired, quite the opposite! It can also sharpen a statement: "Vieni presto, anzi, vieni subito" — come early — actually, come right now.
It signals that you're thinking out loud and refining as you go, which is exactly how real conversation works.