How to ask questions
Asking questions in Italian is pretty simple. You just need a question mark at the end and the right intonation, which you’ll get with practice.
If you want to ask specific questions, there are some question words you’ll need, and you’ll find in this lesson.
Let’s now learn how to ask questions in Italian.
Simple questions
While in English, you have to change the order of the sentence, in Italian, you can just take a statement and turn it into a question without changing the order of the sentence.
Let’s have a look at some examples:
Tu sei Laura. –> Tu sei Laura?
You’re Laura. –> Are you Laura?
Hanno vent’anni. –> Hanno vent’anni?
They are twenty years old. –> Are they twenty years old?
Vai a Roma. –> Vai a Roma?
You’re going to Rome. –> Are you going to Rome?
Lavorano da casa. –> Lavorano da casa?
They work from home. –> Do they work from home?
Studi ancora francese. –> Studi ancora francese?
You’re still studying French. –> Are you still studying French?
Question words
There are some question words that you’ll definitely need if you want to ask a specific question.
Have a look at them:
- Chi? (Who? Whom?)
- Cosa? (What?)
- Quando? (When?)
- Dove? (Where?)
- Perché? (Why?)
- Come? (How?)
- Quale/Quali? (Which?)
- Quanto/Quanta/Quanti/Quante? (How much?/How many?)
Questions words: examples
Let’s have a look at some examples:
Chi viene stasera?
Who’s coming tonight?
Cosa vuoi?
What do you want?
Quando vai a casa?
When are you going home?
Dove andiamo?
Where are we going?
Perché non mangi?
Why aren’t you eating?
How are you?
Quale preferisci?
Which one do you prefer?
Quanto costa?
How much is it?
Just so you know, in questions beginning with a question word, when you want to mention the subject, this is placed at the end of the sentence. Here are two examples:
Practice with Quizlet
Here's a set of flashcards and quizzes to practice this grammar topic.How to Improve Your Speaking if You Don’t Have a Speaking Partner?
Are you struggling to improve Italian-speaking skills, because you don’t have a conversation partner?
Or, your Italian friends are fantastic to hang out, but they don’t correct you as often as you’d like. If that’s the case, you can get an Italian AI tutor, powered by GPT technology, and engage in unlimited, beginner, intermediate or advanced conversations, based on your level, through both text or speech.
While you chat, you get instant feedback on your errors. Plus, you can switch between Italian and English at any time. Not only you’ll be improving your written skills, grammar and vocabulary, but spoken skills and pronunciation as well. If you want to learn Italian with an AI Tutor, you can start by testing the app for free.
Still translating in your head? Wanna speak Italian for real? Check out Stefano's courses to think directly in Italian and become fluent fast!
