Controllo la patente nel portafoglio prima di guidare.

I check the driver's license in my wallet before driving.

Breakdown of Controllo la patente nel portafoglio prima di guidare.

• io: I
• nel: in
• controllare: to check
• prima di: before
• il portafoglio: the wallet
• guidare: to drive
• la patente: the license

Questions & Answers about Controllo la patente nel portafoglio prima di guidare.

What does Controllo mean in this sentence, and why is it conjugated that way?

Controllo is the first person singular present tense form of the verb controllare, which means “to check.” In this context, it translates as “I check.” Italian verbs are conjugated to reflect the subject, so even though the subject pronoun (io, meaning “I”) isn’t stated, the verb ending makes it clear who is performing the action.

What does la patente mean, and how is it different from the English word “patent”?

La patente means “driver’s license.” While the English word “patent” refers to a legal document granting exclusive rights over an invention, in Italian la patente commonly refers to the license one needs to drive. It’s an example of a false friend between the two languages.

What is the purpose of the contraction nel in nel portafoglio?

Nel is a contraction of the preposition in and the article il (“the”), combining to mean “in the.” So, nel portafoglio translates to “in the wallet.” Contractions like these are very common in Italian and help make speech flow more naturally.

Why is guidare in the infinitive form instead of being conjugated like controllo?

After certain phrases, such as prima di (“before”), Italian requires that the following verb be in the infinitive form. In this sentence, guidare remains in its basic form, meaning “to drive.” This construction is similar to using “before driving” in English.

How does the phrase prima di guidare function within the sentence?

The phrase prima di guidare means “before driving” and sets a time condition for the action. It tells us that the checking of the driver’s license occurs prior to driving. This placement helps to clearly communicate the sequence of actions.

How does the sentence structure compare to its English equivalent?

The Italian sentence follows a structure that is quite similar to English. It starts with the verb controllo (“I check”), followed by the direct object la patente (“the driver’s license”), then includes the location phrase nel portafoglio (“in the wallet”) and finally the time clause prima di guidare (“before driving”). One key difference is that in Italian the subject pronoun is often omitted because the verb ending indicates the subject, whereas English usually requires the subject to be explicitly stated.