Interrogatives are words used to introduce/ask questions. Like the English words “what?,” “who?,” “how?,” and so on, in Italian you will find a wide range of interrogative words, which can be organized based on their different grammatical roles. Some of them are pronouns (they stand alone and can refer to a previously mentioned noun), some are adjectives (they accompany and qualify a noun), and others instead are adverbs (they inquire about an action).
In this post, we will cover all the members of the interrogative family and how to use each of them! Let’s dive in!
Direct vs. indirect interrogative clauses
Like in English, in Italian you might encounter two types of interrogative clauses which require you to use interrogative words:
direct interrogative clauses end with a question mark and request information
Che tempo fa?Translation: What is the weather like?The whole sentence Che tempo fa? is a direct interrogative clause.indirect interrogative clauses are subordinate clauses that are required when the main verb expresses a doubt or a question. You might see one of these, for example, if the main verb is domandare meaning to ask, chiedere meaning to ask, or pensare meaning to think.
These subordinate clauses are called “indirect interrogatives” because they do not end with a question mark and do not directly request information, but the question is rather embedded in the meaning of a larger sentence. For example:
Mi domando che tempo faccia oggi.Translation: I wonder what the weather is like today.The clause che tempo faccia oggi is an indirect interrogative clause.
What are the interrogative words in Italian?
Both in English and Italian, when forming direct or indirect interrogative clauses, we use a range of interrogative words to mark them. The table below is an overview of the most common Italian interrogative words, categorized on the basis of their respective grammatical role:
Pronouns
- cheTranslation: that, which
- che cosaTranslation: what
- cosaTranslation: what
- quale/iTranslation: what, which one/s, which
- chiTranslation: who
Adjectives
- cheTranslation: what, which
- quale/iTranslation: what,which one(s), which
- quanto/a/i/eTranslation: how many, how much
Adverbs
- comeTranslation: how
- doveTranslation: where
- quandoTranslation: when
- perchéTranslation: why
- come maiTranslation: how come
- quanto/a/i/eTranslation: how many, how much
Now, let’s go over them one by one!
What are the interrogative pronouns and adjectives in Italian?
If we focus on the form, in Italian we find two kinds of interrogative pronouns and adjectives:
invariable, whose form does not change
variable, whose form changes according to the gender and number of the noun they refer to or qualify.
The interrogatives ‘che,’ ‘cosa,’ and ‘che cosa’ (what)
The interrogatives che, cosa, and che cosa are invariable and mean "what." Here are some other things to note about them:
they introduce questions concerning things (not people/animals)
they are interchangeable in meaning
che meaning that, which can be used both as a pronoun (on its own) and an adjective (before a noun), but the other two are only used as pronouns. For example:
- Che / Cosa / Che cosa fai questo fine settimana?Translation: What are you doing this weekend?All three can be used here, because they are used on their own.
- Che ore sono?Translation: What time is it?Literally: What hours are they?Only che can be used here because it modifies a noun, ore meaning hours.
when they’re used together with a preposition, the preposition always precedes the interrogative (they can’t be separated!)
prepositioninterrogativeChissà a che ora finirà di lavorare oggi.Translation: Who knows what time he will finish work today.Literally: Who knows at what hour he will finish work today.
The interrogative pronoun ‘chi’ (who/whom)
The Italian interrogative pronoun chi meaning who, whom is invariable.
It introduces questions regarding people
Chi verrà a cena da Mario?Translation: Who will come to Mario's for dinner?It always follows any preposition it’s used with
A chi avete scritto ieri sera?Translation: Who did you write to last night?Mi chiedo con chi abbia comprato questo regalo.Translation: I wonder who s/he bought this gift with.
The interrogative word ‘quale/i’ (which one(s))
The Italian interrogative quale/i meaning which one(s) can be a pronoun or an adjective.
It is a variable interrogative word:
singular form (m. and f.) → quale meaning which one
plural form (m. and f.) → quali meaning which ones
It is used to ask for clarifications about quality and/or identity
It introduces questions concerning things or animate beings (people, animals)
When used as a pronoun, it stands alone to refers to a noun mentioned before in a conversation, and when used as an adjective it comes before a noun.
It always follows any preposition it’s used with.
Example:
- Ho appena comprato un romanzo di Andrea Camilleri.Translation: I just bought a novel by Andrea Camilleri.
- interrogative pronounQuale?Translation: Which one?
- “La forma dell’acqua,” lo hai letto?Translation: “The Shape of Water,” did you read it?
- interrogative adjectiveQuali romanzi gialli preferiti?Translation: What detective novels do you prefer?
The interrogative adjective ‘quanto’ (how many; how much; how long)
The interrogative adjective quanto is used to ask “how many,” “how much,” or “how long.”
It is used to ask questions relating to quantity
It varies based on the gender and number of the noun it qualifies:
- masculine singularQuanto caffè hai bevuto oggi?Translation: How much coffee did you drink today?
- feminine singularNon mi sono chiesto quanta pasta cucinare per gli invitati.Translation: I didn't ask myself how much pasta to cook for the guests.
- masculine pluralQuanti minuti mancano alla fine della partita?Translation: How many minutes are left until the end of the game?
- feminine pluralNon so quante volte ho perso le chiavi di casa nell’ultimo mese.Translation: I don't know how many times I have lost my house keys in the last month.
It always follows any preposition it’s used with.
prepositionDa quanto tempo suoni il piano?Translation: How long have you been playing the piano?
What are the interrogative adverbs in Italian?
Interrogative adverbs can be used in Italian to ask questions about “how much,” “how long,” “how,” “where,” “when,” “why,” or “how come” an action takes place.
‘Quanto’ (how much; how long) as an interrogative adverb
Since adverbs are always invariable (meaning they don’t change in gender and in number), how much, how long does not change form when used as an interrogative adverb concerning quantity.
- Quanto costa questa maglietta?Translation: How much does this t-shirt cost?
- Gli ho chiesto quanto ha corso oggi.Translation: I asked him how much he ran today.
Other interrogative adverbs in Italian
Other interrogative adverbs in Italian can also be used for questions related to manner, place, time, and reason and causality. See the table below:
| Type | Adverb | Example |
|---|---|---|
manner | come Translation: how | Com’è andata a scuola oggi? Translation: How was school today? |
place | dove Translation: where | Mi scusi, sa dove si trova la stazione dei treni? Translation: Excuse me, do you know where the train station is? |
time | quando Translation: when | Mi domando quando arriverà il taxi. Translation: I wonder when the taxi will arrive. |
reason | perché Translation: why | Perché hanno rimandato la mostra su Caravaggio? Translation: Why did they postpone the exhibition on Caravaggio? |
come mai Translation: how come | Come mai il loro volo è in ritardo? Translation: How come their flight is delayed? |
To sum up
In Italian, like in English, when formulating a question (either directly or indirectly), we use interrogative words.
Interrogative words can be categorized based on their grammatical role. In this respect, some interrogatives as pronouns (on their own), adjectives (before a noun), or adverbs (to ask for more details about an action or situation).
The Italian interrogative pronouns che, cosa, and che cosa mean "what" or "which." They are interchangeable when used in place of a noun, but only che meaning what can also be used before a noun (as an adjective).
Like che meaning what, quale/i meaning which / which one(s) is also used both as a pronoun and as an adjective. Something to remember about quale is that, when we use it in front of a word that starts with a vowel, it is spelled qual and not ❌ qual’ with an apostrophe.
Remember that, as an adjective, quanto meaning how many is variable, becoming therefore quanto / quanta / quanti / quante depending on the gender and number of the noun it qualifies.
Finally, some interrogative words are adverbs, invariable words like quanto meaning how much, come meaning how, dove meaning where, etc. that are used in both direct and indirect interrogative clauses to ask questions about various subjects.
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