Italian demonstratives

Today I talk about Italian demonstratives. Demonstratives indicate the object or person a speaker refers to. In English they are this, that, these, those. Demonstratives are very used in every language, so it’s essential to master them.

Let’s now see some Italian demonstrative adjectives and pronouns.

ITALIAN DEMONSTRATIVES USED BOTH AS ADJECTIVES AND PRONOUNS

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Just remember that medesimo is formal. And both stesso and medesimo are preceded by an article.

SOME EXAMPLES

• Questa casa è troppo grande -> This house is too big;

• Quel motorino è di Sabrina -> That is Sabrina’s motorbike;

• Questi cani non abbaiano mai ->These dogs never bark;

• Queste camere sono orribili -> these rooms are horrible;

• Quei sandali sono troppo stretti -> Those sandals are too tight;

• Quelle papere hanno fame -> Those ducks are hungry;

• Quest’estate andrò in Grecia -> This Summer I’m going to Greece;

• Questo maglione ha lo stesso/medesimo colore della tua macchina -> This sweater has the same color of your car;

USE

1- When questo and quello – and their inflected forms – are used as adjectives, they are always placed before nouns.

Example: Questa matita è mia (This pencil is mine);

2- It is not uncommon that both questo and quello – and their inflected forms – are followed by an adverb of place to add emphasis. Questo/a/i/e is generally followed by qui, qua (here), while quello/a/i/e is generally followed by lì, là (there): 

Examples: Questo qui/qua è il mio libro (this is my book); Quella lì/là è la sua bicicletta (that bike is hers);

3- Quest’, Quell’ and Quell’ are used before a noun starting with a vowel.

Example: Quest’anno (this year); Quell’amica (that friend); Quell’esame (that exam);

4- Quello and Quegli are used when the word that follows them starts with: