Italian controlling expressions are an integral part of the language, serving to convey a sense of command and authority in various everyday situations. Let’s see a short list of Italian controlling expressions that are commonly used in conversations.
1. Tenere d’occhio
This is one of the most common Italian controlling expressions used in everyday conversation. It literally translates to “keeping an eye on” and it means to watch someone or monitor someone closely.
Examples:
Ti prego, tieni d’occhio i bambini mentre preparo la cena.
Please, keep an eye on the children while I prepare dinner.
È meglio tenere d’occhio quell’uomo. Ha un fare sospetto.
It’s best to keep an eye on that man. He seems suspicious.
2. Avere sotto controllo
This is a standard expression that literally means “to have under control”. And, as you can imagine, it means effectively managing or monitoring a situation.
Examples:
Anna deve sempre avere tutto sotto controllo, altrimenti va in panico.
Anna always needs to have everything under control, otherwise she panics.
È essenziale tenere la situazione finanziaria della propria azienda sotto controllo.
It’s essential to keep your company’s financial situation under control.
3. Comandare a bacchetta
This curious Italian expression literally means ” to command with a stick.” In Italy we use it to mean that someone is exerting strict control or authority over someone.
Examples:
Il capo comanda a bacchetta tutto il dipartimento.
The boss commands the whole department with a strict hand.
Roberto comanda a bacchetta i suoi fratellini.
Roberto bosses his little brothers around.
4. Tenere le redini/avere in mano le redini
These two Italian commanding expressions literally mean ” to hold the reins/to have the reins in your hand” It implies having control or lead a company or situation.
Examples:
Il figlio del direttore adesso ha le redini dell’azienda.
The director firmly holds the reins of the company.
Federico e Davide hanno in mano le redini della famiglia.
Federico and Davide hold the reins of the family.
5. Imporre la propria volontà
Finally, this Italian expression means “to impose one’s will” and, as you can imagine, it means to impose one’s desires or decisions on others.
Examples:
Non dovresti cercare di imporre la tua volontà agli altri.
You shouldn’t try to impose your will on others.
La madre tende a imporre la propria volontà ai propri figli, non lasciando loro spazio per fare le proprie scelte.
The mother tends to impose her will on her children, not giving them space to make their own choices.
And this is all for today. I hope you’ve enjoyed these list of Italian controlling expressions and that you’ll start using them in conversation.
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Credits
Original image by Tumisu
Italian Folklore: Enrosadira
