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Se il figlio ribelle non vuole obbedire, non lo lascio uscire.

Se il figlio ribelle non vuole obbedire, non lo lascio uscire.
If the rebellious son doesn't want to obey, I don't let him go out.
From Lesson 211:Letting someone do something (lasciare + infinito)·Italian

Questions & Answers about Se il figlio ribelle non vuole obbedire, non lo lascio uscire.

How do we know lasciare means 'to let' here instead of 'to leave'?
When lasciare is followed directly by an infinitive verb (like uscire), it forms the permissive construction, which means 'to let' or 'to allow' someone to do something. When used with just a noun, it usually means 'to leave' (like leaving your keys behind).
Why do we use the direct object pronoun lo instead of the indirect gli for 'him'?
In the lasciare + infinitive construction, the person being allowed to do something is treated as the direct object if the second verb doesn't take its own direct object. Since uscire (to go out) is an intransitive action, the son is the direct object of lasciare. Therefore, we use lo (him).
Why is lo placed before lascio instead of attached to uscire?
In this construction, the pronoun belongs to the main verb, lasciare. Because lascio is conjugated, object pronouns must go immediately before it. You will see this pattern constantly: non lo lascio uscire (I don't let him go out).
Il figlio is masculine, so why does the adjective ribelle end in -e?
Ribelle belongs to a specific group of adjectives that end in -e in the singular. These adjectives do not change for gender, meaning they are exactly the same for both masculine and feminine nouns. They only change to -i for the plural.
Why is the present tense (vuole, lascio) used in this 'if' sentence instead of the future tense?
For 'first conditional' sentences discussing real or highly possible situations, Italian uses the present tense in the se (if) clause, just like English. For the result clause (non lo lascio uscire), you can use either the present or the future. The present is extremely common when stating general rules or immediate consequences.

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