controllarlo

Controllarlo is a form used in Italian that consists of the infinitive controllare plus the clitic pronoun lo, meaning “him” or “it” (masculine singular). The phrase translates to “to control him” or “to check it,” depending on context. The lo pronoun refers to a masculine singular noun previously mentioned or implied. This construction is common when the object of controlling is known from the discourse and is frequent in both speech and writing.

Grammatical notes: Italian allows pronouns to attach to the end of an infinitive after a conjugated verb, as in devo controllarlo or lo devo controllare. When there are two pronouns, the indirect pronoun comes before the direct one (for example glielo meaning “to him/it”). The gender and number of the pronoun match the object it replaces; for a feminine object you would use controllarla. In progressive constructions the pronoun typically comes before the gerund, as in Lo sto controllando.

Usage and examples: Non posso controllarlo. Devo controllarlo prima di uscire. Controllarlo è complicato in certe situazioni. Both lo controllare and controllarlo are correct depending on the syntactic position of the pronoun in the sentence; however, attaching the pronoun to the conjugated verb (Devo controllarlo) is the common choice after a finite verb, while attaching it to the infinitive is common after another verb (Lo devo controllare).

See also: controllare, pronomi personali, combinazioni di pronomi.