What does Quando Mean in Italian? Meaning, Usage & Examples

An interactive lesson guiding you from key takeaways to expert insights. Comes with Q&A, useful vocabulary, interactive audio, quizzes and games.

Quando è il tuo compleanno?
Quando è il tuo compleanno?
Quando è il tuo compleanno?
Published Sep 18, 2021
Updated Jun 6, 2024
Written by
Italian language tutor, course author. MEng, MBA. Member of the International Association of Hyperpolyglots (HYPIA). After learning 12 languages, I can tell you that we all master languages by listening and mimicking. I couldn’t find an app to recommend to my students, so I made my own one. With my method, you’ll be speaking Italian from Lesson 1.
Reviewed by
A linguist specializing in psycholinguistics and Italian language education. I hold a Research Master’s in Linguistics and teach Italian, passionately connecting research with practical teaching.

Key Takeaways

  • “Quando” translates to “when” in English and is used similarly in both languages for questions and linking sentences.
  • As an interrogative pronoun, quando can initiate questions, like Quando ci vediamo? (When will we meet?).
  • In relative clauses, “quando” acts as a conjunction, connecting two ideas, as in Ho conosciuto Matteo quando ho viaggiato in Asia.
  • It can also indicate comparisons between contradictory situations, highlighting incompatibility, e.g., Non capisco perché si sia offeso, quando dovrei essere io ad arrabbiarmi.
  • Using “quando” with mai forms rhetorical questions, emphasizing something that has never occurred, like Quando mai ho fatto una cosa del genere?

Audio images

🔊
Quando è il tuo compleanno?
🔊
Quando ci sarà il prossimo incontro?
🔊
Quando parte il treno?

Main Article

What does Quando Mean?

As simple as it is, “quando” means “when”, and its use is very similar to its English counterpart.

In fact, you can find quando either at the beginning of a sentence to ask a question, or between two sentences, to link the first to the second, like in the following examples:

Quando ci vediamo?

When will we meet?

Amo quando sorridi.

I love it when you smile.

“Quando” in Italian

How can I use “Quando” in Italian?

Linguistically speaking, “quando” can be used both in questions and relative clauses.

In the first case, it is an interrogative pronoun, like chi, cosa, dove, perché, quant*, qual*, and come (respectively: who, what, where, why, how much/many, which, and how). Notice that I used the asterisk in two forms because they are declined in gender and number.

In general, interrogative pronouns are basic terms that are used to ask questions in Italian, just like in all languages which display them in their grammar.

Quando tornerai in Italia?

When are you coming back to Italy?

A funny thing that I like to underline is that, while in English all these pronouns – except for “how” – start with wh, in Italian they all – except for perché – start with the sound [k].

This is because they all evolved from Latin, and kept this sound although with different graphic outcomes.

In the second case, “quando” is a conjunction, therefore it is used to link one sentence to the other.

Ho conosciuto Matteo quando ho viaggiato in Asia.

I met Matteo when I travelled to Asia.

Other Uses of “Quando”

There are two more ways we can use “quando” beside questions and relative clauses:

  • Another use of “quando” is to make a comparison between two opposite situations. When it is used in these cases, it implies some incompatibility between the two.

Non capisco perché si sia offeso, quando dovrei essere io ad arrabbiarmi.

I don’t understand why he got offended, when I should be the one getting angry.

  • The other way you can use “quando” is to pair it with mai (“never”) in a rhetorical question to imply that something has never happened for sure.

Quando mai ho fatto una cosa del genere?

When did I ever do such a thing?

“Quando”: Mandatory to Know!

Whether you want to ask a question or you want to create a complex sentence, the word “quando” will help you improve your Italian skills.

Free Guide
How to Learn Languages Fast

Knowing the meaning of this word is the first step to start mastering sentences with time-related words in Italian.

So, now tell me:

Quando tornerai a leggere? (When will you be back to read?)

Learn more about asking questions in Italian.

Key Terms and Concepts

Words

quandowhen
interrogativointerrogative
pronomepronoun
congiunzioneconjunction
incompatibilitàincompatibility
mainever
retoricorhetorical
domandaquestion
comparazionecomparison
arrabbiarsito get angry

Phrases

interrogativointerrogative
pronomepronoun
congiunzioneconjunction
comparazionecomparison
incompatibilitàincompatibility
retoricorhetorical
viaggiareto travel
arrabbiarsito get angry
mainever
conoscereto meet

Sentences

Quando tornerai a casa?

When will you return home?

Mi sveglio sempre quando suona la sveglia.

I always wake up when the alarm rings.

Quando ho tempo, mi piace leggere.

When I have time, I like to read.

Quando mai hai visto qualcosa del genere?

When have you ever seen something like this?

Quando ci siamo incontrati, ero molto nervoso.

When we met, I was very nervous.

FAQs

What does quando mean in Italian?

Quando is the Italian word for "when". It can be used as a question word or a conjunction, just like in English.

How is quando used in Italian sentences?

Quando can be used in a variety of ways, including as a question word, a conjunction, or to make a comparison between two opposite situations. It can also be paired with mai ("never") in a rhetorical question to imply that something has never happened for sure.

think in italian reddit

The comments section has moved to the Think In Italian Reddit community. Join today!

Italian word of the day
fiume
Dov’è il fiume più lungo del mondo? È in Sud America.
Where is the longest river in the world? It’s in South America.

What's new

Social signup

Rave Reviews

"I've tried other apps like Babbel and Memrise. None made me fluent or made me feel like I was making much meaningful progress in learning a language."
testimonial 2
Ecem Topcu
Aug 7, 2025
"While other courses rely heavily on translation, grammar exercises, or memorization, Think in Italian makes you comfortable speaking Italian like an Italian."
testimonial 1
Deborah Hause
Jul 11, 2025
"While other courses rely heavily on translation, grammar exercises, or memorization, Think in Italian makes you comfortable speaking Italian like an Italian."
testimonial 3
Dom Scott
Jun 21, 2025
"Absolutely marvelous course. I have been using other learning apps, good enough, but I was getting fed up of the monotony and lack of stimuli. I found this course by accident, good accidents do happen."
testimonial 6
Bernard Evans
Jun 2, 2025
"This course is excellent. It's well organized and teaches Italian sentence structure and vocabulary in a logical progression. I've made good progress with Think In Italian."
testimonial 4
George Dielemans
May 27, 2025
"Think in Italian is brilliant. It is the basis of my Italian leaning. I use it everyday. I have researched and tried many other learning methods, but THIS ONE IS THE BEST most integrated, complete and truly current."
testimonial 5
Mark Kohr
May 3, 2025

★★★★★

Rated 4.9/5 based on 170+ reviews

Social login (faster)