Italian Phrase
Limita l'uso del cellulare.
Meaning
‘Limit the use of the mobile phone.’ It is a direct, informal command often used when giving advice about health, productivity, or etiquette. The phrase can appear on posters, in conversations, or as part of a broader set of guidelines.
When to use
Use this sentence when you want to tell someone—usually a friend, a child, or a colleague—to cut down on how much they use their phone. It works well in classroom rules, workplace policies, parental guidance, or casual conversation about digital wellbeing.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Limital'usodelcellulare.
Imperative (2nd person singular)
‘Limita’ is the imperative form of the verb ‘limitare’, used to give a direct command or advice to ‘you’ (informal).
Elision of the article
‘l'’ is the elided form of the masculine singular article ‘il’ before a vowel, so ‘l'uso’ = ‘il uso’.
Prepositional contraction
‘del’ = ‘di + il’, meaning ‘of the’; it links the noun ‘uso’ with ‘cellulare’.
Noun gender and number
‘uso’ (masc. sing.) and ‘cellulare’ (masc. sing.) agree in gender and number; no article is needed before ‘cellulare’ because it is already introduced by ‘del’.
🗨In Conversation
Hai notato quanto tempo passiamo sul cellulare?
Have you noticed how much time we spend on our phones?
Sì, limitiamo l'uso del cellulare per concentrarci meglio.
Yes, let's limit the use of the mobile phone so we can focus better.
✕Common Mistakes
Limita di l'uso del cellulare.
‘di’ is not needed; the verb already carries the meaning of limiting.
Limita l'uso cellulare.
The article ‘del’ is required to link ‘uso’ with ‘cellulare’.
Limita usare il cellulare.
After ‘limita’ you need a noun phrase, not an infinitive verb.
↔Alternatives
Riduci l'uso del cellulare.
Reduce the use of the mobile phone.
Modera l'uso del cellulare.
Moderate the use of the mobile phone.
Fai meno uso del cellulare.
Use the mobile phone less.
Cultural Tip
In Italy, ‘cellulare’ is the most common word for a mobile phone, though older generations may still say ‘telefono cellulare’. When giving advice, Italians often use the informal imperative, but in formal settings (e.g., workplace notices) you might see the polite form ‘Limiti l'uso del cellulare’ or the infinitive construction ‘È consigliabile limitare l'uso del cellulare.’