Asking Questions in Italian
In Italian, you can easily turn a statement into a question just by changing your intonation, but to ask for specific information, you need question words (interrogatives)!
Key Question Words
- Chi? — Who?
- Che cosa? (or Cosa?) — What?
- Dove? — Where?
- Quando? — When?
Question words are usually placed right at the beginning of the sentence, followed by the verb.
Examples
- Dove abiti? — Where do you live?
- Quando mangi? — When do you eat?
- Chi sei? — Who are you?
- Che cosa fai? — What are you doing?
Common Mistake: Don't forget that Dove means 'where', not 'when'. Make sure not to mix up Dove and Quando!
Words
Chi
Who
Chi è?Who is it?
Che cosa
What
Che cosa mangi?What are you eating?
Dove
Where
Dove abiti?Where do you live?
Quando
When
Quando partiamo?When are we leaving?
Perché
Why / Because
Perché ridi?Why are you laughing?
Come
How
Come stai?How are you?
Quanto
How much / How many
Quanto costa?How much does it cost?
Cosa
What
Cosa fai?What are you doing?
Lessons are prepared with the help of AI.
Patterns
Dove ___?
Asking where someone does an action.
Dove abiti?Where do you live?
Quando ___?
Asking when an event or action happens.
Quando mangi?When do you eat?
Chi è ___?
Asking who someone is.
Chi è lui?Who is he?