Italian Phrase
Ricordati di finire tutto il ciclo di antibiotici.
Meaning
‘Remember to finish the entire course of antibiotics.’ The sentence stresses the importance of completing the prescribed antibiotic treatment to ensure it works fully and to prevent bacterial resistance.
When to use
Use this phrase when you want to remind a friend, family member, or patient that they should not stop taking antibiotics early, especially after a doctor’s prescription.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Ricordatidifiniretuttoilciclodiantibiotici
Ricordati (imperative + clitic)
‘Ricordati’ is the second‑person singular imperative of ‘ricordare’ combined with the reflexive clitic ‘ti’, used to give a friendly reminder.
di + infinitive
After verbs of remembering, advising, or fearing, Italian uses ‘di’ followed by an infinitive (e.g., ‘di finire’).
tutto (adjective)
‘Tutto’ agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies; here it modifies the masculine singular ‘ciclo’.
il ciclo di antibiotici
‘Ciclo’ means ‘course’ or ‘cycle’; the prepositional phrase ‘di antibiotici’ specifies what the cycle refers to.
🗨In Conversation
Ricordati di finire tutto il ciclo di antibiotici.
Remember to finish the whole course of antibiotics.
Grazie, lo farò. Non voglio rischiare di ammalarmi di nuovo.
Thanks, I will. I don’t want to risk getting sick again.
✕Common Mistakes
Ricorda di finire tutto il ciclo di antibiotico.
‘Ricorda’ is correct for a formal or neutral tone, but the clitic ‘ti’ is needed for a friendly reminder; also ‘antibiotico’ should be plural ‘antibiotici’ because the cycle includes multiple doses.
Ricordati finire tutto il ciclo di antibiotici.
The verb ‘finire’ must be preceded by ‘di’ after ‘ricordati’; omitting ‘di’ makes the sentence ungrammatical.
↔Alternatives
Non dimenticare di completare il ciclo di antibiotici.
Don’t forget to complete the antibiotic course.
Assicurati di prendere tutti gli antibiotici prescritti.
Make sure you take all the prescribed antibiotics.
Finisci il ciclo di antibiotici, per favore.
Finish the antibiotic course, please.
Cultural Tip
In Italy, doctors and pharmacists often stress ‘finire il ciclo di antibiotici’ because stopping early can lead to resistance. The informal imperative ‘Ricordati’ is common among friends and family; in a formal setting you would use ‘Ricordi’ or ‘Le ricordo’. Also, the word ‘ciclo’ is the standard medical term for a treatment course, not ‘trattamento’ in this context.