Italian Demonstrative Pronouns: Questo vs Quello — This vs That
Pointing things out is fundamental to any language. In Italian, you use 'questo' for things nearby (this, these) and 'quello' for things further away (that, those). Both agree in gender and number with the noun they describe or replace — and 'quello' has extra forms that depend on the sound that follows it, just like the definite article does. Once you understand the parallel with the article system, tutto diventa chiaro.
When used as adjectives (before a noun), questo has four straightforward forms. Quello, however, behaves like the definite article and changes to match the noun's starting sound — just as 'il/lo/la/l'/i/gli/le' do.
Questo — This (Adjective Forms)
| Form | Used With | Example |
|---|---|---|
| questo | masculine singular | questo libro — this book |
| questa | feminine singular | questa casa — this house |
| quest' | before any vowel | quest'anno — this year |
| questi | masculine plural | questi ragazzi — these boys |
| queste | feminine plural | queste ragazze — these girls |
Quello — That (Adjective Forms)
| Form | Used With | Example |
|---|---|---|
| quel | masculine singular (il words) | quel ragazzo — that boy |
| quello | masc. singular (lo/s+cons., z, gn, ps) | quello studente — that student |
| quell' | before any vowel (m. or f.) | quell'amico — that friend |
| quella | feminine singular (la words) | quella ragazza — that girl |
| quei | masculine plural (i words) | quei libri — those books |
| quegli | masculine plural (gli words) | quegli studenti — those students |
| quelle | feminine plural | quelle case — those houses |
When questo and quello are used as pronouns (replacing a noun, not modifying it), the forms are simpler. Questo becomes questo/questa/questi/queste. Quello becomes quello/quella/quelli/quelle. No elision or special consonant forms are needed when they stand alone as pronouns.
As Pronouns (Standing Alone)
| Pronoun | Gender/Number | Example |
|---|---|---|
| questo | masculine singular | Quale vuoi? — Questo. — Which one do you want? — This one. |
| questa | feminine singular | Preferisco questa. — I prefer this one. |
| questi | masculine plural | Questi sono i miei amici. — These are my friends. |
| queste | feminine plural | Queste sono le mie scarpe. — These are my shoes. |
| quello | masculine singular | Quello è bello! — That one is beautiful! |
| quella | feminine singular | Quella mi piace di più. — I like that one more. |
| quelli | masculine plural | Quelli costano troppo. — Those cost too much. |
| quelle | feminine plural | Prendo quelle. — I'll take those. |
Questo and Quello in Natural Conversation
Questo caffè è freddo.
This coffee is cold.
Quella macchina è troppo cara.
That car is too expensive.
Quegli stivali sono bellissimi!
Those boots are beautiful!
Preferisci questo o quello?
Do you prefer this one or that one?
Quest'estate andiamo in Sicilia.
This summer we're going to Sicily.
Quell'uomo là è mio padre.
That man over there is my father.
Italian uses 'qui/qua' (here) with questo and 'lì/là' (there) with quello. You can reinforce the distance: 'questo qui' (this one here), 'quello là' (that one there). In practice, Italians often add 'là' after quello for extra clarity in pointing: 'Quello là è mio fratello.' (That one there is my brother.)
Quello can also mean 'the one (who/that)' when followed by a relative clause: 'Quello che dici è vero' (What you say is true / The thing you say is true). 'Quella che preferisco è questa' (The one I prefer is this one). This is a very common structure in written and spoken Italian.
Quello in fixed expressions
Quello che voglio è semplice. — What I want is simple.
In quel momento ho capito tutto. — At that moment I understood everything.
Quella sera è stata indimenticabile. — That evening was unforgettable.
Ah, quei tempi! — Ah, those days! (nostalgic)
Shopping and pointing — real-world dialogue
Vorrei vedere quella borsa là in vetrina.
I'd like to see that bag there in the window.
Quale preferisce, questo o quello? — Quello, grazie.
Which do you prefer, this one or that one? — That one, thank you.
Queste scarpe sono comode, quelle no.
These shoes are comfortable, those aren't.
Quest'hotel è più economico di quello.
This hotel is cheaper than that one.
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