Learn Italian: Perdere il controllo non serve, lascialo spiegare tutto il problema. - Losing control doesn't help, let him explain the whole problem.

Perdere il controllo non serve, lascialo spiegare tutto il problema.

Losing control doesn't help, let him explain the whole problem.

Breakdown of Perdere il controllo non serve, lascialo spiegare tutto il problema.

Questions & Answers about Perdere il controllo non serve, lascialo spiegare tutto il problema.

Could I say lasciagli spiegare tutto il problema instead of lascialo?

Yes, and in strict grammar, it's actually preferred! In permissive constructions, if the second verb (spiegare) has a direct object (tutto il problema), the person doing the action usually takes an indirect object pronoun (gli). However, with lasciare, native speakers very often use the direct object pronoun (lo) in everyday spoken Italian, which is what you see in this sentence.

Why is the pronoun lo attached to the end of lascia in lascialo?

Lascia is the informal command (imperative) for tu. In Italian, when you give an affirmative command, object pronouns like lo ("him") must be attached directly to the end of the verb.

Why does the sentence use the infinitive perdere instead of an "-ing" equivalent like perdendo for "Losing"?

In English, we often use the "-ing" form (gerund) as the subject of a sentence. In Italian, you cannot do this; you must use the infinitive. So "Losing control" translates literally as "To lose control" (Perdere il controllo).

I know servire means "to serve". How does non serve translate to "doesn't help"?