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Italian Phrase

Controlli il tuo telefono?

/konˈtrɔl.li il ˈtwɔ teˈlɛˈfo.no/
Meaning"Do you check your phone?"
💡

Meaning

Literally, ‘Do you check your phone?’, it asks whether the listener habitually looks at or checks their mobile device. It can also be used to suggest that someone should take a quick look.

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When to use

Use this phrase in casual conversation when you’re curious about someone’s phone‑checking habit, or when you want to politely ask them to glance at their device (e.g., to verify a message). It’s appropriate among friends, classmates, or colleagues in informal settings.

✦Grammar Breakdown

Controlliiltuotelefono?

1

Present Indicative (2nd person singular)

‘Controlli’ is the present indicative form of ‘controllare’ for ‘tu’, used to ask a question about a habitual action.

2

Possessive Adjective Agreement

‘tuo’ agrees in gender (masculine) and number (singular) with ‘telefono’.

3

Definite Article ‘il’

The masculine singular article ‘il’ precedes ‘telefono’ because it starts with a consonant.

4

Question Intonation

In spoken Italian, the pitch rises at the end of the sentence to signal a question; the written question mark reinforces this.

🗨In Conversation

A

Controlli il tuo telefono?

Do you check your phone?

Sì, lo guardo ogni cinque minuti.

Yes, I look at it every five minutes.

B

✕Common Mistakes

  • Controlla il tuo telefono?

    ‘Controlla il tuo telefono?’ is the imperative, which sounds like a command rather than a question about habit.

  • Tu controlli il tuo telefono?

    The subject pronoun ‘tu’ is usually omitted; adding it can sound redundant or overly emphatic.

  • Controlli il tuo cellulare?

    While ‘cellulare’ is acceptable, ‘telefono’ is more neutral; mixing both can be confusing.

↔Alternatives

  • Hai controllato il tuo telefono?

    Did you check your phone?

  • Dai un'occhiata al tuo telefono.

    Take a look at your phone.

  • Controlli il cellulare?

    Do you check your cell phone?

it

Cultural Tip

Italians are often glued to their phones, especially in cafés and public transport. Asking ‘Controlli il tuo telefono?’ is considered polite if you’re suggesting someone should look at a message, but avoid sounding accusatory. In formal contexts you’d use the third‑person form ‘Controlli il suo telefono?’ to show respect.