Italian Phrase
Controlla se respira e se ha un battito.
Meaning
A direct command meaning ‘Check if (the person) is breathing and if (they) have a heartbeat.’ It is typically used in emergency or first‑aid contexts to quickly assess whether someone is alive.
When to use
Use this phrase when you need to perform a rapid health check – for example, in a medical emergency, during basic life‑support training, or when a paramedic asks a by‑stander to verify a victim’s vital signs.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Controllaserespiraesehaunbattito
Imperative (2nd person singular)
‘Controlla’ is the informal imperative of ‘controllare’, used to give a direct command to ‘you’.
Indirect yes/no question with ‘se’
‘se’ introduces an indirect question, equivalent to ‘if’ in English.
Present indicative for current state
‘respira’ and ‘ha’ are present indicative forms, used because you are checking a real‑time condition.
Conjunction ‘e’
‘e’ simply links the two checks: breathing and heartbeat.
🗨In Conversation
Controlla se respira e se ha un battito.
Check if they’re breathing and if they have a heartbeat.
Sì, sta respirando ma non sento il battito.
Yes, they’re breathing but I don’t feel a pulse.
✕Common Mistakes
Controlla se respiri e se ha un battito.
‘Respiri’ is the subjunctive; the correct form for a factual check is the indicative ‘respira’.
Controlla se respira e se ha battito.
The article ‘un’ (or ‘il’) is required before ‘battito’.
Controlla se ha respira e se battito.
Word order must keep the verb after the subject; the correct order is ‘se respira e se ha…’.
↔Alternatives
Verifica se respira e se ha il battito.
Verify if they are breathing and if they have a pulse.
Accertati che respiri e che il cuore batta.
Make sure they are breathing and that the heart is beating.
Cultural Tip
In Italian emergency protocols (the ‘ABC’ – Airway, Breathing, Circulation), the first step after checking responsiveness is to verify breathing, then to feel for a pulse. The phrase mirrors this official sequence, so using it shows you understand local medical practice and sounds natural to Italian paramedics and first‑aid instructors.