Italian Phrase
Controlla la tua cartella dello spam.
Meaning
A direct, friendly command telling someone to look inside the folder where unwanted e‑mail messages are automatically placed. It is the standard way to ask a user to verify whether an expected message has been filtered as spam.
When to use
Use this phrase when you suspect an e‑mail didn’t arrive in the inbox, when giving technical support, or when reminding a colleague to verify that a message isn’t being blocked by the spam filter.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Controllalatuacartelladellospam
Controlla (imperativo)
‘Controlla’ is the second‑person singular imperative of the verb *controllare* (to check). It is used for direct commands or friendly advice.
la tua (possessivo)
‘la tua’ is the feminine singular possessive adjective meaning ‘your’. It agrees in gender and number with the noun *cartella*.
dello (di + lo)
‘dello’ is the contraction of the preposition *di* + the masculine singular article *lo*. It is required before a masculine noun that begins with s+consonant, z, ps, gn, or a vowel‑like *spam*.
spam (prestito)
‘spam’ is a loanword from English, used in Italian to refer to unwanted e‑mail. It behaves like a masculine singular noun.
🗨In Conversation
Non ho ricevuto il tuo messaggio.
I haven't received your message.
Controlla la tua cartella dello spam.
Check your spam folder.
✕Common Mistakes
Controlla il tuo spam.
‘Spam’ is a noun, not a folder; you need the article *la* before *cartella* and the preposition *di* (contracted to *dello*).
Controlla la tua cartella della spam.
Because *spam* starts with an s‑consonant, the correct article is *lo*, which contracts to *dello*.
Controlla la tua cartella di spam.
While understandable, native speakers almost always use the contracted form *dello*.
↔Alternatives
Verifica la tua cartella spam.
Verify your spam folder.
Dai un'occhiata alla cartella dello spam.
Take a look at the spam folder.
Controlla la posta indesiderata.
Check the junk mail.
Cultural Tip
In Italy the term *spam* is widely understood, especially among younger users, but the more formal expression is *posta indesiderata* or *mail di spam*. When speaking with older or non‑technical people, you might prefer the latter to avoid sounding too anglicized.