Modern Italian Grammar: A Practical Guide, Third Edition (2013)
Part B. Functions
I. Giving and seeking factual informatio
15. Asking questions
15.1 Introduction
There is no specific verb form in Italian to distinguish a statement from a question, such as the English question form ‘Does he …?’ ‘Is he …?’ In Italian the form of the verb and the word order of the sentence generally remain the same. In the last example the interrogative word at the beginning of the sentence makes it clear that this is a question:
Devo chiudere la porta.
I must shut the door.
Devo chiudere la porta?
Should I shut the door?
Perché devo chiudere la porta?
Why do I have to shut the door?
15.2 Asking a question using interrogative intonation
Very often the only difference between a statement and a question in spoken Italian is the intonation of the voice, which therefore becomes particularly important in getting your message across (see 8.5). The pitch of the voice is raised on the word that is the focus of the question. In the sentence above you can raise your voice on any one of the components, depending on what the main focus of your question is:
Devo chiudere la porta? (o la finestra?)
Should I shut the door? (or the window?)
Devo chiudere la porta? (o devo aprirla?)
Should I shut the door? (or should I open it?)
Devo chiudere la porta? (o non devo?)
Should I shut the door? (or should I not?)
15.3 Asking a question using interrogative words
When you ask questions, you often use interrogative words (see 3.6). We now look at three different types of questions and the question words used to introduce them.
15.3.1 Questions about identification (of people and/or things)
Chi?
Chi (who?) can be used in questions or indirect questions (see also 3.6.1). It can be used with a preposition, as shown in the last two examples below; the preposition always comes before chi, unlike the equivalent construction in English (‘who is it for?’). Chi is invariable: it does not change form regardless of whether it is the subject of the verb (as in the first example), the direct object (as in the second example), or preceded by a preposition (as in the last two examples).
Pronto, chi parla?
Hello, who's speaking?
Mi dica chi deve vedere oggi. (indirect question)
Tell me who you have to see today.
Per chi è questo pacco?
Who is this parcel for?
Di chi è questa giacca?
Whose jacket is this?
Che cosa?
Che cosa ‘what?’ (see also 3.6.2) can be used in direct or indirect questions. It can be used with a preposition, as in the last example below:
Buongiorno, che cosa desidera?
Good morning, how can I help you? (Literally: What would you like?)
Dimmi che cosa vuoi fare stasera. (indirect question)
Tell me what you want to do tonight.
Di che cosa parliamo con l'avvocato?
What shall we talk about with the solicitor?
You can also use che or cosa (see also 3.6.2) instead of che cosa, especially in a more familiar or informal context:
Che vuoi?
What do you want?
Che fai?
What do you do?
Cos'è questo?
What is this?
Cosa stai mangiando?
What are you eating?
Di cosa ti occupi?
What do you do?
Quale?
Quale can be used both as pronoun, meaning ‘which one?’, or as adjective, meaning ‘which?’ (see also 3.6.4):
Qual è il mio bicchiere? (pronoun)
Which (one) is my glass?
Quale computer devo usare? (adjective)
Which computer should I use?
Apart from its meaning of ‘which’, quale as a pronoun is frequently used with the meaning of English ‘what’:
Qual è il Suo indirizzo?
What is your address?
Quali sono i particolari della macchina?
What are the details of the car?
In spoken informal Italian, quale — when used as an adjective — can be replaced by che:
Che computer devo usare?
Which computer should I use?
Quale is elided to Qual before the verb form è, but never found with an apostrophe:
Qual è il tuo cognome?
What is your surname?
15.3.2 Questions about quantity
Quanto can be used either as an adjective or pronoun (see 3.6.3) or as an adverb (see 6.3.3). As an adjective or pronoun, quanto agrees with the gender and number of the noun it refers to (masculine/feminine, singular/plural). As an adverb, it is invariable. It can be elided (quant') before a vowel.
As adjective:
Quante stanze ci sono in questa casa?
How many rooms are there in this house?
Quanto zucchero vuole nel caffè?
How much sugar do you want in your coffee?
Di quanta carta ha bisogno?
How much paper do you need?
Fra quanti giorni sarai a Roma?
In how many days' time will you be in Rome?
As pronoun:
In quanti siete? (Note idiomatic use of ‘in’)
How many people are you?
Anche le amiche di Laura vogliono venire. Quante sono?
Laura's friends want to come too. How many are they?
As adverb:
Quanto costa? Quant'è?
How much is it?
Scusi, quanto ci vuole per Palermo?
Excuse me, how long does it take to get to Palermo?
Quanto pesa la tua valigia?
How much does your case weigh?
Quanto is also used as an exclamative to express surprise or admiration or amazement, whether it is an adverb (see 6.3.3), an adjective or a pronoun (see 3.6.3):
Quanto siete stupidi voi ragazzi! (adverb)
How stupid you boys are!
Quanto mi piace questo posto! (adverb)
How I love this place!
Guarda quante persone sono venute! (adjective)
Look how many people have come!
Finally, quanto is used in the comparative expression tanto … quanto ‘as … as’ (see 17.2.4).
15.3.3 Other types of questions
There are several other words commonly used to introduce questions. These include come, dove, quando and, lastly, perché. All of these can be used both in direct and in indirect questions, as shown in the examples below. Some can also be used with a preposition.
Come? ‘How?’
Direct question:
Come si dice “bank account” in Italiano?
How do you say ‘bank account’ in Italian?
Indirect question:
Ditemi come avete fatto a dormire.
Tell me how you managed to sleep.
In the next two examples, compare the use of come with stare and with essere.
Come sta? is used to ask how someone is:
Come sta il marito di Daniela?
How is Daniela's husband?
Com'è? is used to ask what someone looks like:
Com'è il marito di Daniela? Alto? Basso?
What is Daniela's husband like? Tall? Short?
Like quanto, come is also used as an exclamative (see 6.3.3) to express surprise or admiration or amazement:
Come sei bella stasera!
How lovely you are tonight!
▶ See also come mai as an alternative to perché (see below).
Dove? ‘Where?’
Direct question:
Dove va Paolo in vacanza?
Where does Paolo go on holiday?
Indirect question:
Non capisco dove hanno trovato la casa a questo prezzo.
I don't understand where they found a house at this price.
With preposition:
Di dove sei?
Where are you from?
Dove can be elided before a vowel and used with an apostrophe:
Scusi, dov'è il bagno?
Excuse me, where is the toilet?
Quando? ‘When?’
Direct question:
Quando comincia la scuola?
When does school begin?
Indirect question:
Non ho capito quando è arrivato questo pacco.
I don't understand when this parcel came.
With preposition:
Fino a quando resti a Napoli?
Until when are you staying in Naples?
Perché? ‘Why?’
Direct question:
Perché non vai in ufficio oggi?
Why aren't you going to the office today?
Indirect question:
Dimmi perché piangi.
Tell me why you are crying.
Note that perché also means because, and can be used to answer a question as well as to ask it:
Perché hai mangiato il pane?
Why did you eat the bread?
… perché avevo fame.
… because I was hungry.
Come mai? ‘How come?’
The idiomatic expression Come mai? is often used, instead of perché, in a familiar context:
Come mai torni a casa così presto?
How come you're going home so early?
15.4 Dialogo
Un esame di storia
Professore |
Si accomodi. Cominciamo con una domanda generale. Che cosa è il Risorgimento italiano? |
Candidato |
È il movimento di indipendenza e unitànazionale dell'Italia. |
Prof |
E quando è avvenuto questo movimento? |
Cand |
Nel XIX secolo. |
Prof |
Mi dica … chi era Giuseppe Mazzini? |
Cand |
Mazzini è stato un grande leader democratico e repubblicano. Insieme a Giuseppe Garibaldi lottò per realizzare la partecipazione popolare al movimento nazionale. |
Prof |
Quali sono stati gli altri grandi protagonisti del Risorgimento? |
Cand |
I più importanti sono stati Camillo Cavour, il Re Vittorio Emanuele II, il Papa Pio IX … e tanti altri … |
Prof |
Senta … saprebbe dirmi come e in quale anno Roma divenne capitale d'Italia? |
Cand |
Nel 1870. Roma fu presa con la forza. |
Prof |
Perché fu necessaria la forza? |
Cand |
Perché il Papa non voleva perdere la sua autoritàpolitica e la sovranitàsu Roma. |
Prof |
Per concludere … come mai Garibaldi ebbe il soprannome di ‘eroe dei due mondi’? |
Cand |
Perché aveva combattuto sia in Italia che in America Latina per la causa della libertàe indipendenza dei popoli. |
Prof |
Bene, complimenti! Si accomodi pure, l'esame è finito. |
A history exam
Professor |
Sit down. Let's begin with a general question. What is the Italian Risorgimento? |
Candidate |
It was the movement for independence and national unity in Italy. |
Prof |
And when did this movement take place? |
Cand |
In the 19th century. |
Prof |
Tell me … who was Giuseppe Mazzini? |
Cand |
Mazzini was a great democratic and republican leader. Together with Giuseppe Garibaldi he fought to achieve popular participation in the national movement. |
Prof |
Who were the other great characters in the Risorgimento? |
Cand |
The most important were Camillo Cavour, King Vittorio Emanuele II, Pope Pius IX … and many others … |
Prof |
Listen … could you tell me how and in what year Rome became capital of Italy? |
Cand |
In 1870. Rome was taken by force. |
Prof |
Why was force necessary? |
Cand |
Because the Pope didn't want to lose his political authority and sovereignty over Rome. |
Prof |
To conclude … how come Garibaldi was known as the “hero of the two worlds”? |
Cand |
Because he had fought both in Italy and in Latin America for the cause of freedom and independence for the people. |
Prof |
Good, well done! You may go, the exam is finished. |