What does it mean word for word?
The word lascia is the imperative form of 'lasciare', meaning 'to leave' or 'to let'. The lo in lascialo is a direct object pronoun meaning 'it' (masculine).
Which one should you use?
While lascialo stare means to stop bothering/touching something, lascialo perdere is often used idiomatically to mean 'drop the subject' or 'forget about it'.
How does it change in a sentence?
If the object being referred to is feminine, you must change the pronoun to lasciala stare. To say 'leave them alone', use the plural pronoun 'li' (masculine/mixed) or 'le' (feminine) to get lasciali stare or lasciale stare. When using the phrase in an infinitive construction (e.g., 'I want to leave it alone'), the pronoun attaches to the end of the infinitive: lasciarlo stare.
Did you know?
- To tell someone to stop bothering another person, Italians often say lascialo in pace, which literally translates to 'leave him in peace'.
- In various Italian regions, the phrase lascia stare is used as a standalone exclamation meaning 'never mind' or 'it doesn't matter'.
- The word stare in lascialo stare is a cognate of the English word 'state', as both derive from the Latin word for standing.
Examples in context
- Mi scusi, potrebbe lasciare stare?Excuse me, could you please leave it alone?
- Mi scusi, ma non se ne occupi, per favoreExcuse me, but do not concern yourself with it, please
- Dai, lascia perdere!Come on, leave it alone!
- Non rompere!Don't bother me!
- Non toccare quel giocattolo, lascialo stare.Don't touch that toy, leave it alone.
Example conversation
Francesco is trying to fix a broken gadget and Sofia wants to help.
- FrancescoSofia, non aiutarmi adesso.Sofia, don't help me right now.
- SofiaMa posso provare a sistemarlo!But I can try to fix it!
- FrancescoNo, lascialo stare, me ne occupo io.No, leave it alone, I will take care of it.
- SofiaVa bene, allora non tocco nulla.Alright, then I won't touch anything.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries stare, CC BY-SA 4.0.
