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Italian Phrase

Cercalo sul dizionario.

/tʃerˈka.lo sul di.tsi.oˈna.rjo/
Meaning"Look it up in the dictionary."
💡

Meaning

The sentence means “Look it up in the dictionary.” It uses the informal singular imperative of 'cercare' with the direct object pronoun 'lo' (it) and the prepositional phrase 'sul dizionario' (in/on the dictionary). The phrase is a quick, practical command often heard in classrooms or study groups.

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When to use

Use this phrase when you want to tell a friend, classmate, or anyone you address informally to find the definition of a word by consulting a dictionary. It’s perfect for language‑learning settings, tutoring sessions, or casual study conversations.

✦Grammar Breakdown

Cercalosuldizionario

1

Imperative + direct object pronoun

In Italian, the imperative of 'cercare' for 'tu' is 'cerca', and the direct object pronoun 'lo' is attached to the end, forming 'cercalo' (look it up).

2

Preposition 'su' + article 'il' → 'sul'

The preposition 'su' (on) contracts with the masculine singular article 'il' to become 'sul', meaning 'on the' or 'in the' when referring to a surface like a dictionary.

3

Pronunciation of 'cercalo'

The stress falls on the second syllable: cer-CA-lo.

🗨In Conversation

A

Non capisco questa parola.

I don’t understand this word.

Cercalo sul dizionario.

Look it up in the dictionary.

B

✕Common Mistakes

  • Cercalo in il dizionario.

    The preposition ‘in’ does not contract with ‘il’; use ‘sul’ (su + il) or ‘nel’ (in + il).

  • Cercali sul dizionario.

    ‘Cercali’ means ‘look them up’; the pronoun must match the singular ‘lo’ for a single word.

  • Cercare sul dizionario.

    Missing the imperative form and the object pronoun; you need ‘Cercalo’ to give a command.

↔Alternatives

  • Cerca la parola nel dizionario.

    Look up the word in the dictionary.

  • Trova la definizione sul dizionario.

    Find the definition in the dictionary.

  • Controlla il significato sul dizionario.

    Check the meaning in the dictionary.

it

Cultural Tip

In Italian the imperative with a pronoun is attached directly to the verb (cercalo). This construction is informal; for a formal request you would use the third‑person form: “Lo cerchi nel dizionario?” Also, Italians often say “sul dizionario” even though the dictionary is a book, because the preposition ‘su’ conveys the idea of consulting a source.