Questo and Quello in Italian

In Brief

Italian questo means “this” or “these,” while quello means “that” or “those.” Both agree with what they point to, but before a noun quello follows the pattern of the definite article: quel libro, quello studente, quell’amica, quei libri, quegli studenti. When it stands alone as “that one,” use quello, quella, quelli, or quelle.

Overview

Questo and quello are demonstratives: pointing words used to identify a particular person, thing, place, or idea. They can accompany a noun (a word naming a person, thing, place, or idea), as in questo libro (“this book”), or replace one, as in Preferisco quello (“I prefer that one”). In the first use they are traditionally called demonstrative adjectives; in the second, demonstrative pronouns.

The basic contrast resembles English “this/these” versus “that/those.” Questo normally points to something close to the speaker, whether physically or in the conversation. Quello points to something farther away or contrasts it with something closer. Unlike English demonstratives, however, the Italian forms show agreement: their endings match the gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural) of the noun they refer to.

This is an A1 topic because these forms are essential when shopping, choosing, identifying people, and comparing objects. The beginner rule is manageable: learn the four regular forms of questo, then connect the forms of quello before a noun to the familiar patterns il/lo/la/l’/i/gli/le. Later sections explain uses that go beyond physical pointing.

How It Works

The regular forms of questo

Before a noun, questo has four basic forms. The noun—not the speaker or owner—determines the form.

	Masculine	Feminine
Singular	questo libro — this book	questa borsa — this bag
Plural	questi libri — these books	queste borse — these bags

The endings follow a pattern common in Italian adjectives:

• -o: masculine singular, questo
• -a: feminine singular, questa
• -i: masculine plural, questi
• -e: feminine plural, queste

Before a singular noun beginning with a vowel, questo or questa is commonly shortened to quest’:

• quest’uomo — this man
• quest’anno — this year
• quest’amica — this friend (female)
• quest’idea — this idea

The apostrophe marks the omitted final vowel. There is no similar plural shortening: say questi uomini and queste amiche.

The forms of quello before a noun

Before a noun, quello changes not only for gender and number but also according to the noun’s opening sound. It uses the same distribution as the Italian definite articles (“the”).

Noun type	Singular	Plural	Examples
Masculine, most consonants	quel	quei	quel libro, quei libri
Masculine, s + consonant, z, ps, pn, gn, x, y	quello	quegli	quello studente, quegli studenti; quello zaino, quegli zaini
Masculine, vowel	quell’	quegli	quell’uomo, quegli uomini
Feminine, consonant	quella	quelle	quella casa, quelle case
Feminine, vowel	quell’	quelle	quell’amica, quelle amiche

A practical shortcut is to pair each form with its definite article:

Definite article	Demonstrative before a noun
il	quel
lo	quello
l’	quell’
i	quei
gli	quegli
la	quella
le	quelle

For example, if you know lo specchio (“the mirror”), choose quello specchio (“that mirror”). If the plural is gli specchi, the demonstrative is quegli specchi (“those mirrors”). There is no separate article between the demonstrative and noun: quel libro, not quel il libro.

When the demonstrative replaces the noun

A pronoun is a word that stands in for a noun rather than accompanying it. Italian still shows gender and number because the omitted noun remains understood.

Meaning	Near: questo	Far: quello
this one, masculine	questo	quello
this one, feminine	questa	quella
these, masculine	questi	quelli
these, feminine	queste	quelle

Notice the important difference between adjective and pronoun forms:

• Vorrei quel cappotto. — I would like that coat.
• Vorrei quello. — I would like that one.
• Conosco quegli studenti. — I know those students.
• Conosco quelli. — I know those ones.

Do not use quel, quei, quello before special consonants, or quegli by guessing when the noun is absent. The standalone masculine forms are simply quello and quelli.

Near and far are not only physical

The clearest beginner use is physical distance:

• Prendo questa mela qui. — I’ll take this apple here.
• Quanto costa quella lampada là? — How much is that lamp over there?

Italian often reinforces the contrast with qui/qua (“here”) and lì/là (“there”). These adverbs are useful but not required.

Demonstratives also organize a conversation. Questo may refer to the current situation or something just being introduced; quello may recall something more distant, already mentioned, or set apart:

• Questo è il problema: non abbiamo tempo. — This is the problem: we have no time.
• Ti ricordi quella sera a Napoli? — Do you remember that evening in Naples?

As in English, context matters more than a precise measurement of distance.

Position in the noun phrase

In the core pattern, the demonstrative comes before the noun:

• questa macchina nuova — this new car
• quei piccoli negozi — those small shops

An ordinary descriptive adjective can follow the noun, while the demonstrative remains at the front. Possessives can also occur after the demonstrative, normally without an article:

• questo mio amico — this friend of mine
• quella tua domanda — that question of yours

These combinations may sound more contrastive than plain il mio amico or la tua domanda, but their structure is regular.

Examples in Context

Italian	English	Note
Questo libro è bello.	This book is beautiful.	Masculine singular questo
Questa sedia è libera?	Is this chair free?	Feminine singular questa
Questi sono i miei amici.	These are my friends.	Standalone masculine plural
Queste scarpe sono comode.	These shoes are comfortable.	Feminine plural agreement
Quest’anno studio italiano.	I’m studying Italian this year.	Quest’ before a vowel
Quella ragazza è simpatica.	That girl is nice.	Feminine singular before a consonant
Mi piace quel ristorante.	I like that restaurant.	Quel follows the il pattern
Chi è quello studente?	Who is that student?	Quello before s + consonant
Guarda quell’aereo!	Look at that airplane!	Quell’ before a vowel
Quei pomodori sono maturi.	Those tomatoes are ripe.	Masculine plural, ordinary consonant
Quegli zaini sono pesanti.	Those backpacks are heavy.	Quegli before z
Quelle finestre sono aperte.	Those windows are open.	Feminine plural
Preferisco quello.	I prefer that one.	Standalone masculine singular
Vuoi queste o quelle?	Do you want these or those?	Standalone feminine plural
Questo è proprio quello che cercavo.	This is exactly what I was looking for.	Quello che refers to “the thing that”

Common Mistakes

Using the English two-form system

• Wrong: questo casa
• Right: questa casa
• Why: English “this” does not show gender, but Italian does. Casa is feminine singular, so the demonstrative must be questa.

Treating quello as one unchanging adjective

• Wrong: quello libro
• Right: quel libro
• Why: Before a masculine noun with an ordinary initial consonant, use quel, matching il libro. Reserve quello before forms that take lo, such as lo studente and lo zaino.

Using quei before every masculine plural noun

• Wrong: quei studenti / quei amici
• Right: quegli studenti / quegli amici
• Why: Use quegli before the same sounds that require gli: vowels and special beginnings such as s + consonant or z.

Using an adjective form when the noun is omitted

• Wrong: Preferisco quel.
• Right: Preferisco quello.
• Why: Quel must directly introduce a noun. When “that one” stands alone, the masculine singular pronoun is quello.

Keeping the singular after a plural noun is understood

• Wrong: Quali scarpe vuoi? — Voglio quella. (pointing to several pairs)
• Right: Quali scarpe vuoi? — Voglio quelle.
• Why: A standalone demonstrative agrees with the noun it replaces. Scarpe is feminine plural, so use quelle.

Adding a definite article

• Wrong: questo il film / quella la casa
• Right: questo film / quella casa
• Why: A demonstrative already identifies the noun. Standard Italian does not place il or la between it and the noun.

Usage Notes

People, objects, and tone

Standalone demonstratives can refer to people, but tone and context matter. Chi è quello? can be a neutral “Who is that?” while pointing, yet expressions such as quello lì may sound dismissive when used about a person. A name, a role, or quella persona is often more courteous when distance is not the real point.

Questo qui and quello lì

Adding qui/qua or lì/là is especially natural when selecting among visible items:

• Provo questo qui. — I’ll try this one here.
• Non quello lì; l’altro. — Not that one there; the other one.

The added adverb makes the pointing explicit. In conversation, gesture and intonation often do the same work.

Time expressions

Questo commonly marks the period containing the present moment: questa mattina, questa settimana, quest’estate, quest’anno. English tense choices do not always map word for word: questa mattina can be “this morning,” and the verb tense depends on whether that morning is still treated as current or finished.

Quello can point back to a past or otherwise distant period: quel giorno, quell’anno, quell’estate. Here the distance is temporal rather than physical.

Beyond the Basics / Advanced Use

You do not need to master the following patterns at A1, but they are frequent enough to recognize early.

Quello che and “the one(s) that”

A demonstrative pronoun can be followed by che (“that/which/who”) to identify a person or thing more precisely:

• Quello che parla è Marco. — The one who is speaking is Marco.
• Prendi quella che costa meno. — Take the one that costs less.
• Quelli che arrivano tardi aspettano fuori. — Those who arrive late wait outside.

The demonstrative agrees with the understood noun or people. The fixed expression quello che can also mean “what” or “the thing that”: Non capisco quello che dici (“I don’t understand what you’re saying”). When referring broadly to an idea rather than a gendered noun, Italian also uses invariant ciò: Ciò che dici è vero (“What you say is true”). Ciò is more common in careful or formal writing than in everyday speech.

Avoiding repetition with quello di

Italian often uses quello plus di to avoid repeating a noun:

• Il mio telefono è più vecchio di quello di Luca. — My phone is older than Luca’s.
• Le strade di Roma sono diverse da quelle di Milano. — Rome’s streets are different from Milan’s.

The form agrees with the omitted noun: telefono gives quello; strade gives quelle. English often uses a possessive ending or simply omits the repeated noun, so this Italian structure deserves deliberate practice.

Referring back to two items

In formal writing, questo can refer to the nearer or more recently mentioned of two items, while quello refers to the earlier one. This literary organization is less common in spontaneous speech, where speakers usually repeat the nouns or use clearer wording. Recognize the pattern, but do not force it into everyday conversation.

The third demonstrative codesto

Some grammars present a three-way system: questo near the speaker, codesto near the listener, and quello far from both. In contemporary everyday Italian, most speakers use questo and quello instead. Codesto survives especially in Tuscany and in certain formal or administrative styles. It is useful to recognize, but the two-way system is the practical priority for learners.

Demonstratives used after a noun

Italian can place a demonstrative after a noun for strong emphasis, often with an expressive or disapproving tone: Non mi piace il modo quello di parlare. Such patterns are marked and context-sensitive, unlike the neutral beginner structure quel modo di parlare. Until you have a strong feel for register, keep the demonstrative before the noun.

Practice Tips

1. Build pairs from definite articles. Write il libro → quel libro, lo zaino → quello zaino, l’amico → quell’amico, then make each plural. This turns the complicated-looking quello system into a pattern you already know.
2. Practice real choices. Point to objects around you and contrast them: questa tazza o quella?, questi libri o quelli? Say the noun once, then repeat the choice with a pronoun.
3. Mark gender and number together. When learning a new noun, record it with an article and a demonstrative: la chiave, questa chiave; gli occhiali, quegli occhiali. This prevents you from memorizing the noun separately from the form it requires.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Regular Adjectives — review how Italian words agree with nouns in gender and number.