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Italian Phrase

Cerca il pulsante di stop o il cordino.

/ˈtʃer.ka il pulˈsan.te di ˈstɔp o il korˈdi.no/
Meaning"Look for the stop button or the pull‑cord."
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Meaning

The sentence tells someone to look for the stop button or the pull‑cord. It is a typical instruction you might hear on a piece of equipment, a machine, or a safety device.

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When to use

Use this phrase when you are guiding a user, a colleague, or a customer to locate a safety control on a device, such as a treadmill, a washing machine, or an industrial machine.

✦Grammar Breakdown

Cercailpulsantedistopoilcordino

1

Imperativo (tu)

Cerca is the second‑person singular imperative of cercare, used to give a direct command or instruction.

2

Articolo determinativo

Il is the masculine singular definite article, matching the nouns pulsante and cordino.

3

Preposizione 'di'

Di introduces a noun that functions as a modifier; here it links the English loanword stop to pulsante.

4

Conjunction 'o'

O means ‘or’ and connects two alternative objects of the verb.

5

Loanword 'stop'

Stop is an English noun used in Italian technical contexts (e.g., a stop button).

🗨In Conversation

A

Cerca il pulsante di stop o il cordino.

Look for the stop button or the pull‑cord.

L’ho trovato, è qui vicino al pannello di controllo.

I found it, it’s right next to the control panel.

B

✕Common Mistakes

  • Cercare il pulsante di stop o il cordino.

    Using the infinitive ‘cercare’ makes the sentence a statement, not a direct instruction.

  • Cerca il pulsante di stop e il cordino.

    ‘E’ means ‘and’; the original phrase offers alternatives, so ‘o’ (or) is required.

  • Cerca il pulsante di stop o la cordino.

    ‘Cordino’ is masculine, so the correct article is ‘il’, not ‘la’.

↔Alternatives

  • Trova il pulsante di stop o il cordino.

    Find the stop button or the pull‑cord.

  • Cerca il bottone di arresto o il cordino.

    Search for the stop button or the cord.

  • Individua il pulsante di stop o il cordino.

    Locate the stop button or the cord.

it

Cultural Tip

In Italian technical manuals, the word ‘stop’ is often kept in English because it is a standard label on many devices. However, in more formal Italian you may hear ‘pulsante di arresto’ or simply ‘bottone di stop’. The word ‘cordino’ is used for a small cord that you pull to activate a safety mechanism, common on older washing machines and some industrial equipment.