The Interrogative Pronouns in Italian

Interrogative pronouns are words used to ask questions in Italian.
They replace the noun or pronoun in a sentence, allowing you to inquire about something specific.

The most commonly used interrogative pronouns in Italian are:

• Chi? – Who?
• Che? / Cosa? / Che cosa? – What?
• Quale? / Quali? – Which? / Which ones?
• Quanto? / Quanta? / Quanti? / Quante? – How much? / How many?

Here’s how these pronouns work:

“Chi” is an essential interrogative pronoun in Italian, used to ask questions about people.
It remains the same for both singular and plural, as well as for masculine and feminine nouns.

💬 Examples:
Chi è quella ragazza? – Who is that girl?
Chi ha telefonato? – Who called?
Chi sono i tuoi amici? – Who are your friends?

Che? / Cosa? / Che cosa? – What?
These three interrogative pronouns are interchangeable and used to ask questions about things or actions.
They do not change according to gender or number.

💬 Examples:
Che?/Cosa?/Che cosa fai? – What are you doing?
Che?/Cosa?/Che cosa vuoi mangiare? – What do you want to eat?

“Quale” and “quali” are used to ask questions about a specific choice or selection.
“Quale” is used for singular nouns, while “quali” is used for plural nouns.
These pronouns agree in gender and number with the noun they replace.

💬 Examples:
Quale libro preferisci? – Which book do you prefer? Quali film ti piacciono? – Which movies do you like? Quale strada devo prendere? – Which road should I take?

Quanto? / Quanta? / Quanti? / Quante? – How much? / How many?
These interrogative pronouns are used to ask questions about quantities or amounts.
They change according to the gender and number of the noun they refer to.

💬 Examples:
Quanto zucchero vuoi nel caffè? – How much sugar do you want in your coffee?
Quanta pasta abbiamo? – How much pasta do we have?
Quanti amici hai? – How many friends do you have?
Quante persone ci sono alla festa? – How many people are at the party?

Combining Interrogative Pronouns with Prepositions

In Italian, it is common to combine interrogative pronouns with prepositions, such as “di,” “a,” “da,” “in,” and “con.”

💬 Examples:
Di chi è questa penna? – Whose pen is this?
A che ora inizia il film? – At what time does the movie start?
Da quale stazione parte il treno? – From which station does the train leave?
In quale città vivi? – In which city do you live?
Con chi vai al cinema? – With whom are you going to the cinema?

➠ The Relative Pronouns