q-words

Interrogatives for People and Things in Italian

In Italian, asking questions about people, objects, or choices involves a specific set of interrogative words. These words help define the identity or nature of the subject being discussed.

1. Chi (Who / Whom)

Chi is used exclusively for people. It is invariable, meaning it never changes its form regardless of whether you are asking about one person or many, or whether they are male or female.

• Chi è quel ragazzo? (Who is that boy?)
• Chi sono quelle donne? (Who are those women?)

Grammar Tip: If an adjective or past participle refers to chi, it usually defaults to the masculine singular form.

• Chi è arrivato? (Who arrived?)

2. Che cosa, Cosa, and Che (What)

These three forms are used to ask about things, actions, or situations. In modern spoken Italian, che cosa, cosa, and che are often interchangeable when used as pronouns.

• Che cosa vuoi? (What do you want?)
• Cosa mangi? (What are you eating?)
• Che succede? (What is happening?)

Che can also function as an adjective, meaning it directly modifies a noun. In this context, it often means "what kind of."

• Che musica ascolti? (What music do you listen to?)
• Che film guardiamo? (What movie are we watching?)

3. Quale (Which / What)

Quale is used when there is a selection or choice to be made from a specific set. Unlike chi or che, quale agrees in number with the noun it refers to.

• Quale (Singular for both masculine and feminine)
• Quali (Plural for both masculine and feminine)

Examples of usage as an adjective and pronoun:

• Quale libro preferisci? (Which book do you prefer?)
• Quali canzoni conosci? (Which songs do you know?)
• Quale vuoi? (Which one do you want?)

Note: While che is used for general questions, quale implies you are picking from a defined group of options.