rallarlo

Rallarlo is an Italian phrasal verb meaning to slow him down. It is formed from the verb rallentare, meaning to slow down, with the direct object pronoun lo attached to the infinitive, yielding rallarlo. The construction is transitive and can refer to lowering a person’s speed in a literal sense (for example in sports or pursuit) or to hindering someone’s progress, plans, or career in a figurative sense.

Grammatically, rallarlo behaves like a standard transitive infinitive with a clitic pronoun. In tenses with a finite verb, the pronoun typically precedes the verb (Lo rallerò). In compound tenses formed with avere, the past participle agrees with the preceding direct object: Lo hanno rallentato (they slowed him down). The form can also appear in the imperative: Rallalo (Slow him down).

Usage and nuance: rallarlo emphasizes deliberate or strategic slowing of a person rather than a general deceleration. It is common in sports commentary to describe opponents trying to impede a key player, and it can appear in news or political discourse when discussing mechanisms that hinder an individual’s progress.

Examples:

- In finale, l’allenatore ha chiesto ai compagni di rallarlo per risparmiare energie.

- Gli avversari hanno tentato di rallarlo fin dall’inizio per guadagnare terreno.

- Il team ha adottato misure per rallarlo senza compromettere la sicurezza del gruppo.

See also: rallentare, rallentamento.