Relative pronouns (who, that, which, ...) in Italian
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Relative pronouns (I pronomi relativi) connect phrases and sentences replacing one or more elements.
Lesson outline
Hide- 1.Relative pronouns in Italian
- 2.Usage of relative pronouns in Italian
- 2.1.Che (who, which, that as a connector)
- 2.2.Cui (who, which, that after a preposition)
- 2.3.Il Quale (who, which, that in formal contexts)
- 3.Exercises
- 3.1.Exercise on Italian relative pronouns (che, cui) - Single choice set
- 3.2.Exercise on Italian relative pronouns (Il quale) - Multiple choice
- 3.3.Exercise on Italian relative pronouns - Single choice set
- 3.4.Exercise on Italian relative pronouns - Fill in the blanks
Relative pronouns in Italian
| Masculine singular | Feminine singular | Masculine plural | Feminine plural | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Che | Che | Che | Che | Who / which / that |
| Cui | Cui | Cui | cui | Who /which / that (preceded by a preposition) |
| Il quale | La quale | I quali | Le quali | Who / which / that (formal/less used) |
Let's analize some sentences.
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| Il computer che mi hai regalato non funziona. | The computer (that) you gave to me as a present doesn't work. |
| Potrei sapere il motivo per cui state litigando? | May I know the reason why you are fighting? |
| Questa è la legge della quale parlavamo. | This is the law we were talking about. This is the law of which we were talking. |
| La ragazza che sta cantando è mia cugina | The girl who is singing is my cousin. |
| Il panino che ho mangiato per pranzo era buonissimo. | The sandwich (that) I had for lunch was amazing. |
| Nel Paese da cui provengo non esiste una cosa del genere. | In the Country I'm from there is no such thing. In the Country from which I come from there is no such thing. |
Unlike English, Italian relative pronouns can never be omitted.
- CORRECT: La casa che vedo è grande. (The house that I see is big)
- WRONG: La casa vedo è grande. (The house I see is big)
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Usage of relative pronouns in Italian
Che (who, which, that as a connector)
Che is a connector between different phrases with common elements; it replaces the subject or the direct object complement.
It translates as who, which or that, depending on the context.
It is never preceded by a preposition.
| English | Italian |
|---|---|
| Il libro che mi hai regalato è molto bello. | The book (that) you gave me is very good. |
| Gli avvocati che conosco sono piuttosto bravi. | The lawyers (who) I know are quite capable. |
| Ho letto il rapporto che hai scritto ieri. | I read the report (which) you wrote yesterday. |
| Vedo la casa che dicevi. | I can see the house (that) you talked about. |
| Il quadro che hai dipinto è un capolavoro. | The painting (that) you painted is a masterpiece. |
Cui (who, which, that after a preposition)
Cui replaces the indirect complement and it is always preceded by a preposition.
It translates as who, which, that depending on the context.
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| L'aereo su cui viaggiamo è un Boeing 747. | The plane we're travelling on is a Boeing 747. The plane on which we travel is a Boeing 747. |
| La cioccolata di cui vado matto è fatta in Svizzera. | The chocolate I go crazy about is made in Switzerland. The chocolate of which I go crazy is made in Switzerland. |
| L'Italia è un Paese a cui teniamo molto. | Italy is a country we care a lot about. Italy is a country of which we care a lot. |
| Il fatto di cui abbiamo discusso è molto grave. | The event (of which) we discussed about was very serious. |
| Questa è la ragione per cui ho accettato questo lavoro. | This is the reason why I accepted this job. This is the reason for which I accepted this job. |
Il Quale (who, which, that in formal contexts)
Il quale replaces the subject, the direct object complement or the indirect complements.
This pronoun translates as who, which and that and changes according to gender and number of the element it replaces.
| Singular masculine | Singlular Feminine | Plural masculine | Plural feminine |
|---|---|---|---|
| Il quale | La quale | I quali | Le quali |
It is considered more formal than cui or che, so it's typical of written contexts.
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| La ditta per la quale lavoro ha sedi in tutta Europa. | The firm I work for has offices all over Europe. The firm for which I work has offices all over Europe. |
| Ti presento le ragazze con le quali vado al bar. | I present you the girls whom I go to the pub with. |
| Ne ho discusso con Roberto, il quale non sembra d'accordo. | I talked about it with Roberto, who doesn't seem to agree. |
| I fratelli Wright, ai quali si deve il primo modello di aereo. | The Wright brothers, thanks to whom we had the first model of an airplane. |
| Le persone alle quali telefonerai sono interessanti. | The people whom you're going to phone are interesting. |
Exercises
- Exercise on Italian relative pronouns (che, cui) - Single choice set
- Exercise on Italian relative pronouns (Il quale) - Multiple choice
- Exercise on Italian relative pronouns - Single choice set
- Exercise on Italian relative pronouns - Fill in the blanks
Exercise on Italian relative pronouns (che, cui) - Single choice set
Exercise on Italian relative pronouns (Il quale) - Multiple choice
Exercise on Italian relative pronouns - Single choice set
Exercise on Italian relative pronouns - Fill in the blanks
Exercises
- Exercise on Italian relative pronouns (che, cui) - Single choice set
- Exercise on Italian relative pronouns (Il quale) - Multiple choice
- Exercise on Italian relative pronouns - Single choice set
- Exercise on Italian relative pronouns - Fill in the blanks
Exercise on Italian relative pronouns (che, cui) - Single choice set
Exercise on Italian relative pronouns (Il quale) - Multiple choice
Exercise on Italian relative pronouns - Single choice set
Exercise on Italian relative pronouns - Fill in the blanks
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Hi everyone!
My name is Daniela, I am Italian and I come from a small town in Sicily, Southern Italy. I am a qualified Italian language teacher and a CELI examiner! I work in two language schools teaching Italian and I also teach English at school.
I love foreign languages, translating, reading and listening to music. Are you ready to start your language learning path with me? We are going to learn many things and to talk a lot, if you allow me to! Don’t worry if you’ve never studied the language before: everyone can attend my classes – from beginner to advanced students. You just need passion for what you're going to do and... a good Internet connection. Materials are provided by me!
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Hello Everybody
My name is Luisa and I teach Italian for foreign students, English, French and German for Italian students
Since 1994, I have dedicated myself to translating and teaching thanks to my travels, abroad studies, foreign reading and writing. I provide fun and customized lessons based on the student's goals. I also triy to minimize English speaking during the lessons. I give homework exercises, and my lessons are intermixed with grammar, conversation, customs and traditions. My goal is to make certain that each student finds learning Italian exciting.
I am available for any explanations also via e mail
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Thank you Julian !!! Thank you so much !!
Why should you choose me? Take a look at what people say who have taken online classes with me.
Book lessons with me and
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- learn Dutch because you live in the Netherlands (or are planning to move there) and still don’t speak the language properly or haven’t started yet. You’ll enjoy your environment more!
- learn Italian for work or because you will move to this beautiful country or simply because you just love it. Let me help you experience the language!
- study Spanish for pleasure, work or because you have to prepare an exam for school and you need to get confident to perform optimally
- get confident in useful daily conversations, meetings at work, exams, and presentations
- overcome the fear of failure; if you have learning problems, feel shy or need a boost of energy you’ll get confident enough to achieve your goals
My lessons are based on conversations. My method is to help you practice the language from the very beginning in spontaneous and direct conversations, using often role plays.
With books, articles, songs, and other interesting and stimulating material I will encourage conversation, develop grammar in a simpler way, and improve pronunciation.
Learning a foreign language is not a matter of doing much effort, but rather of being consistent, enjoying the lessons and allowing your intuition to work with you. You will book immediate results while having fun!
I've been teaching Dutch, Spanish and Italian for many years, in The Netherlands, for private institutes, for the integration of foreigners into society (Inburgering), and online from Italy, where I currently live.
Contact me for a free trial and let me know how I can help you.
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If you cancel a reservation please do it at least 24 hours before the session
(otherwise I would have to charge you for the lesson).
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Hi everyone!
My name is Daniela, I am Italian and I come from a small town in Sicily, Southern Italy. I am a qualified Italian language teacher and a CELI examiner! I work in two language schools teaching Italian and I also teach English at school.
I love foreign languages, translating, reading and listening to music. Are you ready to start your language learning path with me? We are going to learn many things and to talk a lot, if you allow me to! Don’t worry if you’ve never studied the language before: everyone can attend my classes – from beginner to advanced students. You just need passion for what you're going to do and... a good Internet connection. Materials are provided by me!
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Hello, everybody ! My name is Elena. I’m a native Italian speaker, I’m 49 years old and live in Turin. I am a certified CEDILS teacher, I graduated in Foreign Languages and Literature in Milan and have been working as a teacher of Italian for more than 10 years. I speak English and German. I attended specialization courses for Italian L2 teachers and I am interviewer for C1 PLIDA exam.
Are you seeking a friendly and dynamic study environment ? I got what you need. I am looking forward to being in touch with new students and organize pleasant, interesting and fruitful courses.
Do you wish to learn or improve your Italian to speak with your parents or friends? Do you need Italian for work or study ? Do you simply love Italian language and culture ? Do you need to improve your writing skills ?
My classes are tailored on your needs and considering your level of knowledge, I create a proper course plan. Classes focus on language and on the possibility for you to improve your ability to speak and understand Italian in your daily life or in work.
I offer 1-to-1 or 2-to-1 tuition, general Italian courses (grammar, conversation, listening, reading and writing), preparation to Italian examinations (all levels, also Italian for residence permit) and Italian and culture courses.
Grammar, vocabulary exercises, reading articles and magazines and talking together are all tools to feel at ease with the Italian language and then be able to practice it.
I have worked with children, adolescents and adults for all levels of Italian, from beginner to advanced. I have experience in preparing students to international certification (CILS, PLIDA). I was an A2/B1 Telc examiner.
Learning Italian can be closely related to culture, literature, music, sport and any other interest of my students.
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Hi everyone!
My name is Daniela, I am Italian and I come from a small town in Sicily, Southern Italy. I am a qualified Italian language teacher and a CELI examiner! I work in two language schools teaching Italian and I also teach English at school.
I love foreign languages, translating, reading and listening to music. Are you ready to start your language learning path with me? We are going to learn many things and to talk a lot, if you allow me to! Don’t worry if you’ve never studied the language before: everyone can attend my classes – from beginner to advanced students. You just need passion for what you're going to do and... a good Internet connection. Materials are provided by me!
See you online!
I. T.
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