Some Italian words take time to master because they lack a precise or direct equivalent in English. The adverb ormai is a prime example of this.
ormai

While ormai is commonly translated as now, by now, at this point, nearly, finally, anymore, and already, it’s not always clear when each translation is appropriate. Given its various meanings, we feel it might be useful to explore each possible translation individually with the help of a variety of example sentences. Let’s go through them now!
Important: Ormai may also be written and pronounced as oramai, which is the combination of ora (now) and mai (never). While usage varies significantly by region, ormai is more commonly found in writing, whereas oramai is more frequently heard in spoken language. (Source: Treccani)
oramai
Ormai = at this point / now / already
Ormai is often used to mean “at this/that point” when referring to an action that has been definitively completed. While “at this/that point” can be a suitable English translation, it’s just as common to express it as “(by) now.” Let’s take a look at a few example sentences to get a better sense of how it is used in context.
Ormai ho imparato la lezione e non farò più lo stesso errore. > I’ve learned my lessons now and I won’t make the same mistake.
Ormai è troppo tardi per cambiare idea. > It’s too late to change your mind at this point / now.
Ormai le cose sono cambiate, non possiamo tornare indietro. > Things have changed now, we can’t go back.
Ormai Mario dovrebbe essere arrivato. > Mario should have arrived by now.
Ormai non ci faccio più caso. > At this point, I don’t pay attention to it anymore.
Ormai non ci penso più, è successo tanto tempo fa. > At this point, I don’t think about it anymore, it happened a long time ago.
Ormai dovresti conoscermi. = You should know me by now.
C’era da aspettarselo ormai. > At this point, it was to be expected.
Sono grande ormai! Posso lavarmi i denti da solo!
I’m a big boy now! I can brush my teeth by myself.

Important: In English, we often don’t feel the need to include an adverb equivalent to ormai. For instance, in the phrase At this point, I don’t pay attention to it anymore, the phrase at this point is almost unnecessary, as the adverb anymore suffices. However, in Italian, ormai adds extra emphasis to più and is used frequently to convey that sense of finality, like in the phrase Ormai non ci penso più.
Ormai = almost / nearly
Sometimes ormai can be used as a replacement for the adverb quasi (almost / nearly). It is used to convey the immediacy of a future event or the certainty that something will happen soon.
Ormai siamo arrivati. > We’re almost there.
Ormai la torta è pronta, solo qualche minuto ancora. > The cake is almost ready, just a few more minutes.
Ormai hanno vinto la partita. > They’ve almost won the game.
Ormai il progetto è finito, manca solo la revisione finale.
The project is almost complete, all that’s left is the final revision.

Ormai = already
This usage of ormai is actually quite similar to the first example mentioned, where already can often be substituted with now or at that point.
Ormai è l’estate. > It’s already summertime.
Quando siamo arrivati, era buio ormai. > When we arrived, it was already dark.
Mi sono abituato ormai. > I’m already used to it.
Sono ormai dieci anni che non vedo mio cugino. > It’s already been ten years since I last saw my cousin.
Era ormai troppo tardi per tornare indietro.
It was already too late to turn back.

Ormai = finally
This final usage for ormai isn’t mentioned in any of the English-Italian dictionaries I use to do my research, but it does appear in the reliable Devoto-Oli.
Ormai ce l’abbiamo fatta! > We’ve finally done it!
Ormai siamo in Italia. Andiamo a mangiarci una bella pizza! > We’re finally in Italy. Let’s go eat a nice pizza!
Paolo è diventato un attore famoso, ormai!
Paolo has finally become a famous actor!

Heather Broster is a graduate with honours in linguistics from the University of Western Ontario. She is an aspiring polyglot, proficient in English and Italian, as well as Japanese, Welsh, and French to varying degrees of fluency. Originally from Toronto, Heather has resided in various countries, notably Italy for a period of six years. Her primary focus lies in the fields of language acquisition, education, and bilingual instruction.