Italian Phrase
Firma il tuo nome sul retro.
Meaning
The sentence is a direct instruction telling someone to write their name on the back side of a document, card, or any piece of paper. It is often heard in offices, banks, or when filling out forms.
When to use
Use this phrase when you need someone to sign a form, a check, a receipt, or any paper that requires a signature on its reverse side. It works both in formal (e.g., a bank clerk) and informal (e.g., a friend helping you with paperwork) contexts.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Firmailtuonomesulretro.
Imperative (2nd person singular)
‘Firma’ is the imperative form of the verb ‘firmare’, used to give a direct command to ‘you’ (tu).
Definite article ‘il’
‘il’ is the masculine singular definite article that agrees with the noun ‘nome’.
Possessive adjective ‘tuo’
‘tuo’ must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies – here masculine singular ‘nome’.
Preposition contraction ‘sul’
‘sul’ = ‘su’ + ‘il’, meaning ‘on the’. It is used because ‘retro’ is masculine.
Noun ‘retro’
‘retro’ means the back side of a sheet, card, or any flat object.
🗨In Conversation
Puoi firmare il tuo nome sul retro?
Can you sign your name on the back?
Certo, lo faccio subito.
Sure, I’ll do it right away.
✕Common Mistakes
Firma il tuo nome sulla retro.
‘Retro’ is masculine, so the correct contraction is ‘sul’, not ‘sulla’.
Firma il tuo nome al retro.
The preposition ‘su’ contracts with the article ‘il’; using ‘al’ changes the meaning to ‘to the’.
Tu firma il tuo nome sul retro.
In the imperative you use the verb form alone; adding the subject pronoun ‘tu’ sounds redundant.
↔Alternatives
Scrivi il tuo nome sul retro.
Write your name on the back.
Metti la tua firma sul retro.
Put your signature on the back.
Apponi la tua firma sul retro.
Affix your signature on the back.
Cultural Tip
In Italy, many official documents (checks, contracts, school forms) require the signature on the reverse side rather than the front. The phrase is neutral in register, but in very formal settings you might hear ‘La prego di apporre la firma sul retro’ using the polite ‘Lei’ form.