Homepage / Questo and Quello (This/That)

Questo and Quello (This/That)

Lesson nineteen

In this post, we’ll take a closer look at two essential demonstrative pronouns and adjectives, this and that, and see how they’re used in Italian to indicate specific people or things in relation to the speaker and the listener. While English uses just a few fixed forms, Italian demonstratives change depending on gender, number, and sometimes even the first letter of the noun that follows.

Understanding these patterns will help you sound more natural and precise when speaking Italian, especially when pointing out objects, people, or ideas in conversation.

This in Italian: QUESTO

The word for this in Italian is questo. Like in English, it usually comes before the noun. However, unlike English, Italian requires demonstratives to agree with the noun in both gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural).

Masculine	Feminine
questo	questa
questi	queste

Examples Singular:

Questo cibo è buono.

This food is good.

Questo libro è interessante.

This book is interesting.

Questa casa è grande.

This house is big.

Questa canzone mi piace.

I like this song.

Examples Plural:

Questi alberi sono alti.

These trees are tall.

In questi giorni sono occupata.

I’ve been busy these days.

Queste mele sono rosse.

These apples are red.

Queste scarpe sono comode.

These shoes are comfortable.

Contraction with Vowels:

When questo or questa is followed by a word that begins with a vowel, the final vowel is dropped and replaced with an apostrophe. This contraction is very common and helps make pronunciation smoother.

Quest’anno mi sono laureata.

This year, I graduated.

Quest’estate vado al mare.

This summer, I’m going to the seaside.

Quest’auto non funziona.

This car doesn’t work.

That in Italian: QUEL / QUELLO / QUELLA

The Italian word for that is more complex than questo. The forms of quello follow the same rules as Italian definite articles (il, lo, la, i, gli, le), meaning the correct form depends on the noun’s gender, number, and initial sound.

Masculine Singular	Masculine Plural	Feminine Singular	Feminine Plural
quel (regular)	quei	quella	quelle
quello (z, s+consonant, etc.)	quegli
quell’ (before vowels)	quegli	quell’

Use Based on the First Letter of the Following Word:

Regular masculine nouns that do not begin with a vowel or special consonant cluster use quel in the singular.

Quel libro è interessante.

That book is interesting.

Quei ragazzi sono simpatici.

Those boys are nice.

Masculine nouns beginning with a vowel:

Quell’uomo è vecchio.

That man is old.

Quegli uomini sono gentili.

Those men are kind.

Masculine nouns starting with z, s + consonant, gn, ps, x, or y:

Quello studente è bravo.

That student is good.

Quello zaino è pesante.

That backpack is heavy.

Quegli psicologi sono bravi.

Those psychologists are good.

Feminine nouns:

Quella ragazza è simpatica.

That girl is nice.

Quell’idea era buona.

That idea was good.

Quelle case sono vecchie.

Those houses are old.

Questo QUI and Quello LÌ

To emphasize proximity or distance, Italians often add qui (here) or lì (there) after the noun. This is optional and mostly used in spoken Italian for clarity or emphasis.

Questo cibo qui è buono.

This food here is good.

Quella ragazza lì è bella.

That girl there is beautiful.

Quest’auto qui non funziona.

This car here doesn’t work.

A quell’ora lì, sono al lavoro.

At that time there, I’m at work.

Demonstrative Pronouns Used Alone

When questo or quello replaces a noun instead of describing one, it becomes a demonstrative pronoun. In this case, it still agrees in gender and number with the noun it refers to.

Questo è buono.

This one is good.

Quella è bella.

That one is beautiful.

Questi sono miei.

These are mine.

Quelle sono le tue.

Those are yours.

Summary

Italian demonstratives may seem complex at first, but they follow clear and predictable rules. Questo is used for things close to the speaker, while quello is used for things farther away. Both must agree with the noun in gender and number, and quello also changes depending on the noun’s initial sound.

By mastering these forms and practicing them in context, you’ll be able to point out people, objects, and ideas with confidence and sound much more natural in Italian.