Controllo il saldo del conto prima di fare il bonifico.

Because Italian often leaves out the subject pronoun when it is already clear from the verb ending.

• Controllo = I check / I am checking
• The -o ending tells you the subject is I

So Io controllo is possible, but usually unnecessary unless you want emphasis, contrast, or clarity.

• Controllo il saldo = I check the balance
• Io controllo il saldo, non tu = I check the balance, not you

Here, controllo comes from controllare and means I check or I verify.

In English, control usually means to manage or to have power over, but Italian controllare often means:

• to check
• to inspect
• to verify

So in this sentence, it does not mean I control the balance. It means I check the balance.

Italian uses definite articles much more often than English.

So il saldo literally means the balance, but in natural English we might simply say my balance or the account balance, depending on context.

In Italian, using the article here sounds normal:

• controllo il saldo = I check the balance

Dropping the article would usually sound wrong in this sentence.

In this context, saldo means balance, especially a bank balance or account balance.

Common banking examples:

• saldo del conto = account balance
• saldo disponibile = available balance
• saldo finale = final balance

Be careful: in other contexts, saldo can have related meanings, but in banking it very commonly means balance.

Del is a contraction of di + il.

• di = of
• il = the
• di + il = del

So:

• il saldo del conto = the balance of the account

This is very common in Italian. Other similar contractions are:

• dello = di + lo
• della = di + la
• dei = di + i
• degli = di + gli
• delle = di + le

Here it means account, specifically a bank account.

Italian conto can mean different things depending on context:

• conto = bill/check in a restaurant
• conto = account in banking
• fare i conti = to do the math / to reckon with

Because the sentence also contains saldo and bonifico, the banking meaning is clearly intended.

Because prima di is the normal structure before an infinitive.

• prima di fare il bonifico = before making the transfer / before I make the transfer

After prima di, Italian uses the infinitive when the subject is the same as in the main clause.

This is very common:

• prima di uscire = before going out
• prima di mangiare = before eating
• prima di partire = before leaving

Use prima di + infinitive when the subject stays the same.

• Controllo il saldo prima di fare il bonifico. = I check the balance before making the transfer.
  • Same subject: I check, I make the transfer.

Use prima che + subjunctive when there is a different subject.

• Controllo il saldo prima che tu faccia il bonifico. = I check the balance before you make the transfer.

So:

• prima di + infinitive = same subject
• prima che + subjunctive = different subject

In Italian, fare un bonifico or fare il bonifico is a very common way to say to make a bank transfer.

• fare = to do / to make
• bonifico = bank transfer

So together:

• fare il bonifico = to make the transfer

This is a natural Italian expression. Even if English might sometimes use a single verb like transfer, Italian often prefers this noun-based structure.

You may also hear:

• effettuare un bonifico = a more formal way to say to carry out a bank transfer

Both are possible, but they give slightly different nuances.

• fare il bonifico suggests the transfer is specific or already understood from context
• fare un bonifico means to make a transfer, more indefinite

So:

• prima di fare il bonifico = before making the transfer
• prima di fare un bonifico = before making a transfer

In many real-life situations, il bonifico sounds natural because the speaker has a particular payment in mind.

It is grammatically the present tense, but the Italian present can cover several meanings depending on context.

So Controllo il saldo del conto prima di fare il bonifico can mean:

• I check the account balance before making the transfer
  (habitual/generic)
• I’m checking the account balance before making the transfer
  (right now)
• sometimes even I’ll check the account balance before making the transfer
  (near-future meaning, if context supports it)

Italian uses the present more flexibly than English.

Yes. Italian word order is fairly flexible, especially with time expressions like prima di fare il bonifico.

For example:

• Controllo il saldo del conto prima di fare il bonifico.
• Prima di fare il bonifico, controllo il saldo del conto.

Both are correct. The second version puts more emphasis on before making the transfer.

The original order is very natural and neutral.

Yes. Conto corrente means current account / bank account more explicitly.

So you could say:

• Controllo il saldo del conto corrente prima di fare il bonifico.

That is a bit more specific. In everyday context, though, conto is often enough if it is already clear that you are talking about banking.

It is fairly neutral and natural. Nothing in it is especially informal or especially formal.

• controllo is normal everyday Italian
• saldo, conto, and bonifico are standard banking words

So the sentence would work in ordinary conversation, written instructions, or everyday speech. For a more formal register, someone might use a verb like verifico or effettuo, but the original sentence is completely standard.