Smettila di urlare!

Smettila means stop it, cut it out, or knock it off.

In Smettila di urlare!, it has the sense of Stop shouting!

It comes from the verb smettere = to stop / to quit.

Both are possible, but they are not exactly the same.

• Smetti di urlare! = Stop shouting!
• Smettila di urlare! = Stop it with the shouting! / Cut out the shouting!

The -la is a pronoun attached to the imperative form. Here it does not literally mean a feminine thing in a concrete way. In this expression, smetterla is an idiomatic way to say to stop it / to cut it out.

So smettila di urlare sounds a bit more emphatic and colloquial than smetti di urlare.

The -la is a direct object pronoun meaning it, attached to the verb.

So:

• smetterla = to stop it, to cut it out

In this kind of sentence, Italian often uses it where English may not:

• Smettila! = Stop it!
• Smettila di urlare! = Stop shouting!

Even though la normally can mean her or it (feminine), here it is part of the fixed expression smetterla, so learners should treat it as an idiomatic whole.

Because this is an affirmative informal command (tu imperative).

In Italian, with affirmative commands, object pronouns are usually attached to the end of the verb:

• Dimmi! = Tell me!
• Ascoltami! = Listen to me!
• Smettila! = Stop it!

So smetti + la becomes smettila.

After smettere, Italian normally uses di + infinitive when you mean to stop doing something.

So:

• smettere di fumare = to stop smoking
• smettere di parlare = to stop talking
• smettila di urlare = stop shouting

This is just the normal pattern: smettere + di + infinitive

Because after di, Italian uses the infinitive.

So the structure is:

• smettila = stop it
• di urlare = from shouting / shouting

Together: Smettila di urlare! = Stop shouting!

This is very common in Italian:

• Cerca di capire = Try to understand
• Finisci di mangiare = Finish eating
• Smettila di urlare = Stop shouting

Yes. It is addressed to one person in the informal tu form.

The command comes from smettere, and the tu imperative is smetti. With the attached pronoun, it becomes smettila.

So this is something you would say to:

• a friend
• a child
• a family member
• someone you are speaking to informally

Here are the main versions:

• Informal singular: Smettila di urlare!
• Formal singular: La smetta di urlare!
• Informal plural: Smettetela di urlare!
• Formal plural: La smettano di urlare! or simply Smettete di urlare! depending on context and level of formality

Notice that with the formal command, the pronoun usually goes before the verb:

• La smetta...

With the affirmative tu and voi commands, the pronoun attaches to the end:

• Smettila
• Smettetela

They are similar, but not identical.

• Non urlare! = Don’t shout!
• Smettila di urlare! = Stop shouting!

Non urlare can be used as a general prohibition or warning.

Smettila di urlare usually suggests the shouting is already happening, and the speaker wants it to stop immediately. It often sounds stronger or more irritated.

Yes, urlare commonly means to shout, to yell, or to scream, depending on context.

So:

• urlare = to shout / to yell
• urla! = shout! / yell!
• sta urlando = he/she is shouting

A related verb is gridare, which also means to shout / to yell. In many situations, urlare and gridare overlap, though urlare can sometimes feel a bit more like to yell loudly.

A simple pronunciation guide is:

zmeh-TEE-lah dee oor-LAH-reh

A few notes:

• smettila has the stress on -ti-
• di sounds like dee
• urlare has the stress on -la-

If you want to sound natural, say it as one flowing phrase: Smettila di urlare!

It is fairly strong. It sounds direct and can express annoyance, anger, or urgency.

Depending on tone of voice, it can be:

• firm
• irritated
• angry

So it is natural in situations where someone is actually shouting, but it is not especially polite.

A softer alternative might be:

• Per favore, non urlare. = Please don’t shout.
• Puoi smettere di urlare, per favore? = Can you stop shouting, please?

Yes. Smettila! by itself means:

• Stop it!
• Cut it out!
• Knock it off!

When you add di + infinitive, you specify what the person should stop doing:

• Smettila di parlare! = Stop talking!
• Smettila di ridere! = Stop laughing!
• Smettila di urlare! = Stop shouting!