Italian Phrase
Devono stare nello studio.
Meaning
The sentence means ‘They must stay in the studio.’ It conveys a clear obligation for a group of people to remain inside a specific room or workspace.
When to use
Use this phrase when you need to remind or instruct a group (students, musicians, artists, etc.) that they are required to stay inside the studio until a task is finished or a time limit is reached.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Devonostarenellostudio
Dovere (modal verb)
‘Devono’ is the third‑person plural present of ‘dovere’, used to express obligation or necessity.
Stare + infinitive
After a modal verb, the main verb stays in the infinitive; here ‘stare’ means ‘to stay’.
Preposition contraction ‘nello’
‘Nello’ = ‘in’ + definite article ‘il’; it introduces the location where the action must happen.
Studio (noun)
‘Studio’ can refer to a study room, an art studio, or a recording studio, depending on context.
🗨In Conversation
Posso uscire per una pausa?
Can I go out for a break?
No, devono stare nello studio fino alla fine della lezione.
No, they must stay in the studio until the lesson ends.
✕Common Mistakes
Devono stare in lo studio.
‘In lo’ is never written separately; it contracts to ‘nello’.
Devono stare al studio.
‘Al’ (a + il) indicates direction, not location; the correct preposition for location is ‘in’ → ‘nello’.
Deve stare nello studio.
‘Deve’ is singular; the sentence refers to a plural subject, so ‘devono’ is required.
↔Alternatives
Devono rimanere nello studio.
They must remain in the studio.
È necessario che rimangano nello studio.
It is necessary that they stay in the studio.
Hanno l’obbligo di stare nello studio.
They have the obligation to stay in the studio.
Cultural Tip
In Italian, ‘dovere’ + infinitive is the standard way to express duty or necessity. ‘Stare’ is often used for ‘to stay’ in a place, but it can also mean ‘to be’ in certain idioms (e.g., ‘stare bene’). Remember that ‘studio’ can be a classroom, a personal study, or a professional studio, so the surrounding context clarifies the meaning.