Controllo la cassetta delle lettere ogni mattina.

I check the mailbox every morning.

Breakdown of Controllo la cassetta delle lettere ogni mattina.

• io: I
• ogni: every
• la mattina: the morning
• controllare: to check
• la cassetta delle lettere: the mailbox

Questions & Answers about Controllo la cassetta delle lettere ogni mattina.

Why is there no subject pronoun like io before controllo?

In Italian the verb ending -o in controllo already tells you it’s first person singular (“I”). Subject pronouns such as io are usually omitted unless you want to add emphasis or contrast (e.g. Io controllo, but tu no).

What is the tense and mood of controllo, and why use the present tense here?

Controllo is the first-person singular present indicative of controllare (“to check”). Italian uses the simple present to describe habitual or repeated actions, so Controllo ... ogni mattina literally means “I check ... every morning.”

What does cassetta delle lettere mean, and how is it built?

Literally cassetta means “small box” and delle lettere means “of the letters.” Together cassetta delle lettere = mailbox. Grammatically, it’s a noun (cassetta) + di + definite article (le lettere → delle lettere) to show possession or purpose.

Why do we say delle lettere instead of di lettere?

Italian requires you to contract the preposition di with the definite article for feminine plural lettere:

• di + le → delle
  Always use the article when the thing possessed is definite (“the letters”).

Could I say cassetta della posta instead of cassetta delle lettere?

Yes. Cassetta della posta means “mailbox” as well—posta is a collective noun for “mail.” Saying la posta focuses on checking the mail itself, whereas cassetta delle lettere emphasizes the physical box.

Why is it ogni mattina and not in ogni mattina or le mattine?

Ogni means “each” and always takes a singular noun: ogni mattina = “each morning.” You don’t need in before ogni mattina. Alternatively, you can say tutte le mattine (“all the mornings”) to express the same idea.

Can I put ogni mattina at the start of the sentence? Does word order matter?

Yes. Ogni mattina controllo la cassetta delle lettere is equally correct. Moving the time expression to the front gives a bit more emphasis to when you do it, but the core meaning stays the same.

Where do I put the stress in cassetta delle lettere, and how do I pronounce it?

• cassetta: cas-SET-ta (stress on the second syllable)
• delle: DEL-le (even stress)
• lettere: LET-te-re (stress on the first syllable)
  Phonetically: /kasˈset.ta ˈdel.le ˈlet.te.re/.

Could I use Vado a controllare la cassetta delle lettere ogni mattina? What’s the nuance?

Yes. Vado a controllare (“I go to check”) adds a notion of movement or intention—emphasizing that you physically go over there to check it. Controllo alone simply states the habitual action without stressing the “going” part.

Is controllare a regular -are verb, and how do you conjugate it in the present?

Yes, controllare follows the first conjugation pattern. Present indicative:

• io controllo
• tu controlli
• lui/lei controlla
• noi controlliamo
• voi controllate
• loro controllano