Controlliamo il dislivello sulla mappa.

Controlliamo is the noi form of controllare in the present indicative.

It can mean:

• we check
• we are checking
• and, very commonly in context, let's check

In a sentence like Controlliamo il dislivello sulla mappa, the most natural interpretation is often Let's check the elevation difference on the map.

Italian often uses the noi form this way to suggest a shared action:

• Andiamo. = Let's go.
• Vediamo. = Let's see.

Italian usually omits subject pronouns when they are clear from the verb ending.

The ending -iamo already tells you the subject is we:

• controllo = I check
• controlli = you check
• controlliamo = we check

So Noi controlliamo il dislivello sulla mappa is possible, but noi is normally unnecessary unless you want emphasis, contrast, or clarity.

Dislivello refers to a difference in elevation/height.

In contexts like hiking, cycling, routes, and maps, it can refer to:

• the change in altitude
• the vertical difference
• sometimes the elevation gain or drop, depending on context

So it is not just a general word for slope. It specifically focuses on the difference in level between points, or the vertical aspect of a route.

Italian uses articles more often than English.

Here, il dislivello means something like:

• the elevation difference
• the vertical gain
• the change in altitude

The article sounds natural because the speaker is referring to a specific elevation profile or elevation difference relevant to the route or map they are looking at.

Leaving out the article would usually sound incomplete or unnatural in this sentence.

Sulla is a contraction of:

• su = on
• la = the

So:

• su + la = sulla

Because mappa is a feminine singular noun, it takes la:

• la mappa
• sulla mappa = on the map

This kind of contraction is very common in Italian, just like:

• nel = in + il
• alla = a + la
• della = di + la

Because Italian normally uses su for something shown on a map, page, screen, or surface.

So:

• sulla mappa = on the map
• sul libro = in/on the book, depending on context
• sullo schermo = on the screen

With mappa, su is the normal choice because information is seen on the surface of the map.

Yes. The Italian present tense often covers both the English simple present and present continuous.

So controlliamo can mean:

• we check
• we are checking

Context decides which translation fits best.

And in conversational contexts, it can also function as:

• let's check

That is very normal in Italian.

The sentence uses a very normal word order:

• Controlliamo = verb
• il dislivello = direct object
• sulla mappa = prepositional phrase

Italian word order is somewhat flexible, so you could also hear:

• Controlliamo sulla mappa il dislivello

But the original version is the most neutral and natural. Moving sulla mappa earlier may put slightly more emphasis on where you are checking.

A simple guide:

• controlliamo ≈ con-trol-LYA-mo
• dislivello ≈ deez-lee-VEL-lo

A few useful points:

• In controlliamo, the stress is on -lia-
• In dislivello, the stress is on -vel-
• The double consonants in words like controlliamo and dislivello are pronounced more strongly in Italian than in English

Also:

• gli is not present here, so -lia- is fairly straightforward
• mappa has a strong double p
• sulla has a strong double l

Sometimes, but slope is not always the best choice.

Dislivello is usually closer to:

• elevation difference
• vertical gain
• altitude difference

Slope usually refers more directly to steepness, while dislivello refers to the difference in level/elevation.

So unless the context clearly focuses on steepness, slope may be less accurate than elevation difference or vertical gain.