Controllo il retro della carta.

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Breakdown of Controllo il retro della carta.

• controllare: to check
• la carta: the paper
• il retro: the back; reverse side

Questions & Answers about Controllo il retro della carta.

Why is controllo used here? Does it mean I check or I am checking?

Controllo is the 1st person singular present tense of controllare.

It can mean either:

• I check
• I am checking

Italian usually uses the simple present where English often chooses between simple present and present continuous. So the exact English translation depends on context.

Examples:

• Controllo il retro della carta. = I check the back of the card / I’m checking the back of the card
• Controllo sempre i dettagli. = I always check the details

If you want to make the ongoing action extra clear, Italian can also use stare + gerundio:

• Sto controllando il retro della carta. = I am checking the back of the card

Why is there no subject pronoun like io?

Italian often drops subject pronouns because the verb ending already shows who is doing the action.

• controllo = I check
• controlli = you check
• controlla = he/she checks

So Controllo il retro della carta already clearly means I check / I’m checking the back of the card.

You can add io for emphasis or contrast:

• Io controllo il retro della carta, tu controlla il fronte. = I’ll check the back of the card, you check the front.

What does retro mean exactly? Is it the same as ?