2007/03/29

Interrogative Expressions

Interrogative Expressions

Introduction. In Italian there are three ways to form questions.

1. Simply use a rising inflection of the voice to turn a statement into a question. This works when the expected answer is "yes."

Ci sono molti teatri a Roma. > Ci sono molti teatri a Roma?
(Unlike English, Italian does not need to begin a question with "Do...?" or "Does...?")

2. Add a tag phrase to the end of a statement. Again, the expected answer is in the affermative.

Ci sono molti teatri a Roma, non è vero? ("aren't there?")
Ci sono molti teatri a Roma, no?
Ci sono molti teatri a Roma, vero?

3. Use special question words to begin a question. Questions formed like this will elicit an answer that contains a specific type of information.

Chi? Who?
Di chi? Whose?
Cosa? / Che cosa? / Che? What?
Come? How?
Quale? (Plural: Quali...?) Which?
Quando? When?
Perché? Why?
Dove? Where?
Quanto? How much?
Quanti/ quante? How many?
A che ora...? A what time?

Source: The Italian Program at the University of Kentucky