Demonstratives (this, that)

Demonstratives (questo, quello) in Italian

What are demonstratives?

Demonstratives are words that point to people, objects, times, or ideas — in English "this" and "that." In Italian the most common demonstratives are questo (this) and quello (that). They can:
- act as adjectives (they come before a noun): questo libro (this book), quel tavolo (that table);
- act as pronouns (they replace a noun): Questo è mio. (This is mine.) Quello è tuo? (Is that yours?).

Important points:
- They agree with the noun in gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural).
- loro forms change depending on the sound that follows (especially for quello).

When do I use questo and quello?

- Spatial proximity: "questo" = near the speaker; "quello" = farther away.
- Questo libro è sul tavolo accanto a me. (This book is on the table next to me.)
- Quello sullo scaffale in fondo è antico. (That one on the shelf at the back is old.)

- Temporal proximity: "questo" for close time, "quello" for more distant time.
- Questa settimana sono occupato. (This week I am busy.)
- Quell'anno (or l'anno scorso) è stato difficile. (That year / last year was hard.)

- Discourse (referring to what was just said): use "quello" to refer back to something already mentioned.
- Ho letto un libro noioso. Quello non mi è piaciuto. (I read a boring book. That one I didn't like.)

- Emphasis or contrast: you can add "qui/qua" (here) and "lì/là" (there) to be more precise: "questo qui" (this one here) vs "quello lì" (that one there).

How do I form them? — agreement, forms, and rules

Summary of forms

- Forms of questo (adjective before a noun):
- masculine singular: questo (before consonant) OR quest' (before vowel) — e.g. questo libro, quest'uomo
- feminine singular: questa OR quest' — e.g. questa casa, quest'amica
- masculine plural: questi — e.g. questi libri
- feminine plural: queste — e.g. queste case

- Forms of quello (adjective before a noun): these change to match common Italian article patterns:
- masculine singular: quel (before most consonants), quello (before s+consonant, z, ps, gn, etc.), quell' (before vowel)
- examples: quel ragazzo, quello studente, quell'amico
- feminine singular: quella (before consonant), quell' (before vowel)
- examples: quella casa, quell'amica
- masculine plural: quei (plural of quel), quegli (plural of quello / quell')
- examples: quei ragazzi, quegli studenti, quegli amici
- feminine plural: quelle (plural of quella)
- example: quelle case

Why the different forms for "quello"?

Italian chooses forms to keep pronunciation smooth. The pattern mirrors the definite article: il -> i, lo -> gli, l' -> l'. Thus:
- quel ... -> quei ...
- quello -> quegli
- quell' (before vowel) -> quegli (plural)

Adjective vs Pronoun

- When the demonstrative modifies a noun directly, use the adjective forms above:
- Questo libro è bello. (Adjective: this book)
- Quel ragazzo è alto. (Adjective: that boy)

- When the demonstrative stands alone and replaces the noun, use the pronoun forms. Pronoun forms do not contract with an apostrophe:
- Questo è mio. (This is mine.)
- Questa è la mia. (This one (fem) is mine.)
- Quello è di Marco. (That one is Marco's.)
- Quelle sono vecchie. (Those (fem) are old.)

Note: The short forms (quest' and quell') are only used when the demonstrative is an adjective directly before a noun that begins with a vowel. As pronouns (when they stand alone) you do not write quest' or quell': you write questo/quello.

Elision with vowels: quest' and quell'

When a singular demonstrative adjective comes before a noun beginning with a vowel, Italian often elides the final vowel and uses an apostrophe:
- quest'anno (this year), quest'uomo (this man), quest'amica (this friend)
- quell'uomo (that man), quell'idea (that idea)

Remember: this elision is for adjective use before a noun. Do not write "quest' è" or "quell' è" when the demonstrative is a pronoun.

Using "qui/qua" and "lì/là" with demonstratives

Add "qui/qua" (here) or "lì/là" (there) after the demonstrative to give a clearer location or stronger contrast:
- Voglio questo qui. (I want this one here.)
- Prendi quello lì. (Take that one there.)

Small nuance: "qui"/"lì" is slightly more precise; "qua"/"là" is a bit more general. In everyday speech they are often interchangeable.

Special uses and idiomatic expressions

- A questo punto... — at this point...
- A questo punto, non possiamo tornare indietro. (At this point, we can't go back.)

- Quello che... — "that which" / "what" (relative clause)
- Quello che dici è interessante. (What you say is interesting.)
This use introduces a clause and is a different function from the simple demonstrative adjective/pronoun.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

- Wrong form before s+consonant or z:
- Incorrect: *quel studente*
- Correct: quello studente (because "studente" starts with s+consonant)

- Wrong agreement:
- Incorrect: *Questo libro è bella.*
- Correct: Questo libro è bello. (book = libro is masculine; adjective must match)

- Using elided forms as pronouns:
- Incorrect: *Quell' è mio.*
- Correct: Quello è mio.

- Adding a definite article before a demonstrative is usually wrong:
- Incorrect: *Il questo libro è mio.*
- Correct: Questo libro è mio.

- Confusing "questo" and "quello" in discourse: use "questo" for what you are introducing or for something physically near; use "quello" to refer back to something mentioned earlier or to indicate distance.

Short glossary

- Demonstrative: a word that points out which thing/person/time (this/that).
- Adjective (demonstrative adjective): a demonstrative that modifies a noun (questo libro).
- Pronoun (demonstrative pronoun): a demonstrative that replaces a noun (Questo è bello).
- Agreement: matching gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural).
- Elision: dropping a vowel and using an apostrophe (quest'anno, quell'amico).
- s+consonant cluster: an initial consonant cluster like "st-" in "studente"; affects the choice of "quello."

Comprehensive examples grouped by concept

Basic adjectival forms (before a noun)
- Questo libro è interessante. — This book is interesting.
- Questa casa è grande. — This house is big.
- Questi ragazzi parlano italiano. — These boys/these kids speak Italian.
- Queste case sono vicine. — These houses are close.

Elision before vowels (adjective only)
- Quest'anno vado in Italia. — This year I am going to Italy.
- Quest'amica lavora qui. — This (female) friend works here.
- Quell'uomo è il professore. — That man is the professor.
- Quell'idea è buona. — That idea is good.

Quello forms depending on the next sound
- Quel ragazzo è alto. — That boy is tall. (consonant 'r')
- Quello studente è bravo. — That student is good. (s+consonant: 'st')
- Quell'amica è simpatica. — That (female) friend is nice. (vowel)
- Quei libri sono nuovi. — Those books are new. (plural of 'quel')
- Quegli studenti sono stanchi. — Those students are tired. (plural of 'quello')
- Quelle ragazze cantano bene. — Those (female) girls sing well.

Pronoun uses (stand alone) — notice no apostrophe forms
- Questo è mio. — This is mine.
- Questa è la mia macchina. — This one (fem) is my car.
- Questi sono i miei amici. — These are my friends.
- Quello è rotto. — That is broken.
- Quelle sono le tue? — Are those yours?

Relative/other uses — "quello che" and idioms
- Quello che vuoi è possibile. — What you want is possible.
- A questo punto non ha senso continuare. — At this point it makes no sense to continue.

Mistake → correction examples
- *quel studente* → Correct: quello studente
- *Il questo problema è difficile* → Correct: Questo problema è difficile.
- *Quell' è mio* → Correct: Quello è mio.

Final tips

- Always make the demonstrative agree in gender and number with the noun it refers to.
- Watch the first sound of the noun to choose the correct form of "quello" (use "quello" before s+consonant, z, etc.; use "quel" before most consonants; use "quell'" before vowel).
- Use "questo" for things near or things you are introducing; use "quello" for things farther away or already mentioned.
- Add "qui/qua" or "lì/là" when you need to be explicitly local (this here / that there).

If you keep these patterns in mind and listen for gender/number agreement, the two demonstratives will become natural to use quickly.