Italian Phrase
Controlla l'etichetta sul tuo dispositivo.
Meaning
The sentence tells someone to look at, read, or verify the label that is attached to their device. It is a direct, informal instruction often heard in technical support or user‑manual contexts.
When to use
Use this phrase when giving a quick, informal instruction to a friend, colleague, or customer about a piece of equipment—e.g., during a phone call with tech support, while setting up a new gadget, or when troubleshooting a problem.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Controllal'etichettasultuodispositivo
Imperativo (tu)
‘Controlla’ is the second‑person singular imperative of the verb *controllare* (to check, to control).
Elision of the article
‘l'’ is the elided form of the feminine singular definite article *la* before a vowel (etichetta).
Preposition + article
‘sul’ = *su* (on) + *il* (the) and is used because *dispositivo* is masculine.
Possessive adjective
‘tuo’ agrees in gender and number with *dispositivo* (masculine singular).
Noun gender
*etichetta* is feminine, *dispositivo* is masculine; the article and preposition must match each noun’s gender.
🗨In Conversation
Controlla l'etichetta sul tuo dispositivo.
Check the label on your device.
Certo, la trovo subito.
Sure, I’ll find it right away.
✕Common Mistakes
Controlli l'etichetta sul tuo dispositivo.
‘Controlli’ is the formal imperative; using it in an informal context sounds overly stiff.
Controlla la etichetta sul tuo dispositivo.
When a vowel follows the article, Italian elides *la* to *l'*; *la etichetta* is considered a mistake.
Controlla l'etichetta sulla tuo dispositivo.
‘sulla’ = *su* + *la* (feminine). Since *dispositivo* is masculine, the correct form is *sul*.
↔Alternatives
Verifica l'etichetta sul tuo dispositivo.
Verify the label on your device.
Guarda l'etichetta del tuo dispositivo.
Look at the label of your device.
Leggi l'etichetta sul tuo dispositivo.
Read the label on your device.
Cultural Tip
In Italian technical instructions the tone is usually concise and direct, but you can soften it with ‘per favore’ or use the formal imperative ‘Controlli’ when speaking to a customer you don’t know well. Also, Italians often refer to the label as *l’etichetta* rather than *la targhetta*, which is more common for small metal tags.