Italian Phrase
Fermati subito. Spegni il motore. Lascialo raffreddare.
Meaning
‘Stop immediately. Turn off the engine. Let it cool down.’ The three short commands are typical safety instructions given to a driver whose vehicle is overheating or has a mechanical problem.
When to use
Use this phrase when you need to tell someone to halt a vehicle right away, switch the engine off, and allow the machine to cool before further action – for example, after a breakdown, a fire, or a sudden loss of control.
✦Grammar Breakdown
FermatisubitoSpegniilmotoreLascialoraffreddare
Imperative (reflexive)
‘Fermati’ is the second‑person singular imperative of the reflexive verb ‘fermarsi’, meaning ‘stop yourself’. The reflexive pronoun ‘ti’ is attached to the verb.
Adverb placement
‘Subito’ (immediately) follows the imperative verb, a common order in Italian commands.
Imperative with direct object
‘Spegni il motore’ uses the verb ‘spegnere’ in the imperative, followed by the definite article ‘il’ and the noun ‘motore’.
Pronoun + infinitive
‘Lascialo raffreddare’ combines the imperative of ‘lasciare’ with the clitic pronoun ‘lo’ (it) and the infinitive ‘raffreddare’ (to cool).
🗨In Conversation
Fermati subito. Spegni il motore. Lascialo raffreddare.
Stop immediately. Turn off the engine. Let it cool down.
Va bene, lo faccio subito.
Alright, I’ll do it right away.
✕Common Mistakes
Ferma subito.
Missing the reflexive pronoun ‘ti’; ‘ferma’ would address a third‑person or be a non‑reflexive command.
Spegni il motore subito.
While understandable, the adverb is usually placed after the verb in commands: ‘Spegni subito il motore’ or ‘Spegni il motore subito’.
Lascia raffreddare.
The object pronoun is required to specify what should cool; without it the sentence is incomplete.
↔Alternatives
Fermati ora. Spegni il motore e lascialo raffreddare.
Stop now. Turn off the engine and let it cool.
Fermati immediatamente, spegni il motore e attendi che si raffreddi.
Stop immediately, turn off the engine and wait for it to cool.
Blocca il veicolo, spegni il motore e lascialo raffreddare.
Block the vehicle, turn off the engine and let it cool.
Cultural Tip
In Italian imperatives, clitic pronouns (ti, lo, la, li, le) are attached to the end of the verb with a hyphen‑less form, as in ‘fermati’ and ‘lascialo’. The order ‘verb + pronoun + infinitive’ (lascialo raffreddare) is the standard way to give a command that involves a subsequent action.