Italian Phrase
Bisogna tenerli sotto controllo.
Meaning
The sentence means 'They need to be kept under control' or 'One must keep them under control'. It uses the impersonal construction 'bisogna' plus the infinitive 'tenere' with the clitic pronoun 'li' to refer to multiple masculine items.
When to use
Use this phrase when you are talking about managing or monitoring several things at once—such as expenses, children, projects, or any group that requires supervision.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Bisognatenerlisottocontrollo
Impersonal 'bisogna'
'Bisogna' is an impersonal verb meaning 'it is necessary' and does not change with the subject.
Clitic pronoun 'li'
'Li' is the direct object pronoun for masculine plural, attached to the infinitive 'tenere' to mean 'to keep them'.
Prepositional phrase 'sotto controllo'
The phrase 'sotto controllo' literally means 'under control' and follows the verb to indicate the state to be maintained.
🗨In Conversation
Bisogna tenerli sotto controllo.
We need to keep them under control.
Sì, altrimenti potrebbero creare problemi.
Yes, otherwise they could cause problems.
✕Common Mistakes
Bisogna tenerlo sotto controllo.
Use 'li' for masculine plural; 'lo' is singular.
Bisogna che teniamo i bambini sotto controllo.
Mixing impersonal 'bisogna' with a personal subject is ungrammatical; use 'è necessario che teniamo' instead.
Bisogna tenerli sotto il controllo.
The idiomatic expression drops the article; 'sotto controllo' is the correct set phrase.
↔Alternatives
È necessario controllarli.
It is necessary to control them.
Occorre tenerli sotto controllo.
It is required to keep them under control.
Dobbiamo monitorarli.
We must monitor them.
Cultural Tip
In Italian, impersonal constructions like 'bisogna' are very common in both formal and informal speech. They avoid specifying a subject, which can make a statement sound more objective or advisory. Remember that the clitic pronoun must agree in gender and number with the noun it replaces; using 'lo' (singular) or 'le' (feminine) would be incorrect if you are referring to masculine plural items.