It's not quite like that.
'Proprio' — PRO-prio. Stress on the first syllable. 'Così' — co-SI, stress on the second (accented).
Use as a gentle correction or disagreement — softer than 'hai torto' (you're wrong) but clearer than vague hesitation. A diplomatically calibrated phrase.
'Proprio' in Italian means 'exactly', 'just', or 'really' — adding precision. 'Non è proprio così' (it's not exactly like that) is softer than 'non è così' (that's not how it is) — the 'proprio' softens the correction.
Non è esattamente come dici.
It's not exactly as you say.
'Esattamente' (exactly) — precise correction without being confrontational
C'è qualcosa che non quadra.
There's something that doesn't add up.
'Non quadrare' (not to square/fit) — Italian idiom for logical inconsistency
Devo correggere qualcosa.
I need to correct something.
Direct announcement of a correction — honest but signals no offence intended
Italians are sensitive to historical and cultural generalisations about their country. 'L'Italia' as a unified concept is relatively recent (1861). North-south differences, regional identities, and complex histories make sweeping statements about Italy particularly prone to needing this correction.