Italian question words – Le parole interrogative in italiano

When we ask questions in Italian, question words help us to find out specific information: who (chi) is involved, what (che cosa) is happening, where (dove), when (quando) or why (perché).

In this article we will look at the most common interrogative pronouns and see how they are used in everyday sentences. We will also look at some regional and register variations.

What are Italian question words?

Italian question words include pronouns, adjectives/determiners and adverbs used to ask for specific information.

Here are the most common ones:

Chi? – Used to ask about people.

For example: Chi è il tuo amico?

Che cosa? / Cosa? / Che? – Used to ask about things or actions.

The three forms are interchangeable, but with some differences in usage and register.

For example:

Che cosa fai oggi?

Cosa fai oggi?

Che fai oggi?

Quale? / Quali?– Used to ask for a choice between several options.

Quale is gender-invariant, but changes between singular and plural.

Singular example:

Quale libro stai leggendo? –  (il libro –masculine definite articles)

Quale città hai visitato? (la città –femminine definite articles)

Plural example: Quali libri stai leggendo? (i libri)

Quali città hai visitato? (le città)

Dove? – Used to ask about a place.

For example: Dove studi?

Quando? – Used to ask about the time or moment when something happens.

For example: Quando torni a casa?

Perché? – Used to ask the reason or motive for something.

For example: Perché studi italiano?

Come? – Used to ask about the way we do something.

For example: Come si arriva al museo?

Quanto/a/i/e? – Used to ask about quantity and agrees in gender and number with the noun it refers to.

Masculine singular example: Quanto zucchero vuoi?

Feminine plural example: Quante mele ci sono?

Che cosa? / Cosa? / Che? Differences in use and register

Che cosa is the fuller form; cosa is extremely common in contemporary Italian; che is shorter and common in informal speech, especially before a verb. The choice can vary with speaker, region and context, so these are tendencies rather than rigid regional rules.

For example: Che cosa mangi a pranzo?

For example: Cosa mangi a pranzo?

For example: Che mangi?

How are interrogative pronouns used?

Question words often appear at the beginning of a question. Let’s look at some practical examples:

• Chi ti ha chiamato? (Who called you?)

• Dove abiti? (Where do you live?)

• Quale colore ti piace di più? (Which colour do you like best?)

• Quando parte il treno? (When does the train leave?)

• Perché sei in ritardo? (Why are you late?)

• Come arrivi in ufficio? (How do you get to the office?)

• Quanti amici hai invitato alla festa? (How many friends have you invited to the party?)

Some important points to remember

• Chi is only used for people.
• Che cosa / Cosa / Che can be used for things or actions, but with differences in register.
• Quale only varies between singular and plural. There is no difference between masculine and feminine:

For example: 

Quale sedia? (feminine singular)

Quali sedie? (feminine plural)

Quale libro? (masculine singular)

Quali libri? (masculine plural)

• Quanto/a/i/e matches the noun in gender and number:

For example: 

Quanto pane? (how much bread?) – masculine singular

Quanta acqua? (how much water?) – feminine singular

Quanti studenti? (how many students) – masculine plural

Quante case? (How many houses?) – feminine plural

To conclude

Mastering the interrogative pronouns in Italian is essential if you want to ask questions effectively and understand others. Whether you’re asking Chi for people, Che cosa for things or actions, Dove for places or Quanto for quantities, these pronouns provide the tools to navigate everyday conversation. Incorporating them into real-life situations is the best way to become familiar with them. The more you practise, the more natural they will feel. So start using them in your everyday conversations and observe how native speakers use them, adapting to context and region.