A super common mistake when learning Italian is getting che and chi all mixed up. These two teeny-weeny words may look and sound alike, but they actually play different roles in a sentence. And guess what? We use them a ton!
The reason for the mix-up is that they’re both relative pronouns, and you often think they can be swapped out (I mean, they’re both just three letters, right?) or try to apply rules from your native English language.
However, using them correctly is actually pretty simple once you grasp the basics. So, let’s see how to use chi vs che in Italian the right way.
How to use “che” in Italian
Che is one of the words you will hear the most in Italian. You’ll hardly hear a sentence where there’s no che somewhere! It’s very flexible and serves multiple functions, which you’ll find summarised here below.
#1 “Che” as a relative pronoun
Che is the most common relative pronoun in Italian. We use it to connect two sentences and replace the noun that “binds” them, thereby enhancing their overall fluidity. In English, it can be translated as “that,” “which,” or “who.” It doesn’t have gender or number and can function as both the subject and the direct object complement.
Che functions as the subject when the subject of the two sentences it links together is the same. For example:
A Bologna vivono molti giovani + Molti giovani frequentano la famosa università = A Bologna vivono molti giovani che frequentano la famosa università.
In Bologna there are many young people who attend the famous university.
(che = molti giovani —> the subject)
Il film è tratto dall’ultimo libro del mio scrittore preferito + Il film è davvero bellissimo = Il film, che è tratto dall’ultimo libro del mio scrittore preferito, è davvero bellissimo.
The film, which is based on the latest book by my favourite author, is truly wonderful.
(che = il film —> the subject)
Che functions as the object complement when the subject of the two sentences it links together is different. For example:
Abbiamo mangiato la pizza + La pizza era davvero buona. = La pizza che abbiamo mangiato era davvero buona.
The pizza that we ate was really good.
(che = la pizza —> object complement)
Ho visto i suoi amici ieri al bar + I suoi amici mi hanno raccontato tutto = I suoi amici, che ho visto ieri al bar, mi hanno raccontato tutto
His friends, who I saw yesterday at the bar, told me everything.
(che = i suoi amici —> object complement)
Remember that in Italian, unlike English, the relative pronoun che cannot be omitted and must always be included in the sentence. For example:
Ho comprato quel vestito che ti piaceva tanto.
I bought that dress (that) you liked so much.
#2 “Che” as an interrogative pronoun
Che is also used as an interrogative pronoun. However, in this case, it is used exclusively to refer to things rather than individuals, serving as a substitute for the words cosa or che cosa (what). It’s a rather informal usage. For example:
Che si mangia oggi? (Che cosa si mangia oggi?)
What are we eating today?
Che vuoi fare oggi? (Cosa vuoi fare oggi?)
What do you want to do today?
#3 “Che” as an interrogative adjective
In addition to serving as an interrogative pronoun, che can also function as an interrogative adjective when accompanied by a noun, singular or plural, in the introduction of a question. In such cases, it is used to inquire about something related to the word it refers to. For example:
Che colore preferisci?
Which colour do you prefer?
Che libri stai leggendo in questo periodo?
Which books are you reading these days?
#4 “Che” as an exclamative pronoun
Che is often used as an exclamative pronoun to express wonder or disappointment. For example:
Che bello!
How beautiful/wonderful!
Che dici!
What are you talking about!
#5 “Che” as an exclamatory adjective
Che also functions as an exclamatory adjective when it introduces an exclamation and is accompanied by a noun. For example:
Che giornata meravigliosa!
What a beautiful day!
Che tessuti splendidi!
What splendid fabrics!
#6 “Che” as an indefinite pronoun
Sometimes you may also find che used as an indefinite pronoun, indicating something that is not specified. In this case, it is preceded by the masculine indefinite article ‘un‘ and is used in particular expressions such as un che, un non so che; un certo non so che. For example:
Quel ragazzo ha un che di misterioso, mi affascina.
That guy has a mysterious something about him, he fascinates me.
Oggi c’è un certo non so che nell’aria!
There’s something in the air today!
#7 “Che” as conjunction
Finally, che can serve as a conjunction that connects a main clause to a subordinate clause of various types, typically introducing information that depends on or relates to the main clause. For example:
Eravamo così stanchi che siamo andati a letto subito dopo cena.
We were so tired that we went to bed immediately after dinner.
The main clause often contains verbs like dire (to say), pensare (to think), credere (to believe), sperare (to hope) or impersonal expressions like è necessario (it is necessary), si dice (it is said), è importante (it is important). For instance:
Spero che verrete alla festa.
I hope you will come to the party.
Credo che tu abbia sbagliato a parlarle così.
I believe you made a mistake in speaking to her that way.
How to use “chi” in Italian
And now let’s take a look at chi, an Italian word that shares a common nature with che as a pronoun. However, as we previously mentioned, chi holds distinct meanings, which you can find below. In English, it can be translated as “who” or “those who.”
#1 “Chi” as a relative pronoun
Chi is another Italian relative pronoun, but it’s different from che because it doesn’t replace anything. Instead, it has its own unique meaning within the sentence, which can be translated as “the person who” or “the people who.” For example:
Non ricordo la persona che mi ha cercato ieri >> Non ricordo chi mi ha cercato ieri
I don’t remember who called me yesterday.
Just remember that chi is always followed by the third-person singular verb, even when it refers to a group of people:
Stimo le persone che dicono le cose in faccia >> Stimo chi dice le cose in faccia
I respect those who speak their minds openly.
Important: A mistake learners of Italian often make is to say la persona chi or le persone chi because they are literally translating the English phrase “the person / the people who.” In Italian, you must always use che when the subject or object is explicitly stated. Below are some additional examples:
L’uomo che sta scrivendo = The man (who/that) is writing
La donna che abbiamo visto = The woman (who/whom/that) we saw
#2 “Chi” as an interrogative pronoun
Chi can be used to ask about people or living beings (but not things!). It’s invariable, so you can use it for both masculine and feminine and whether you’re talking about one person or a group. For example:
Chi mi sta chiamando?
Who’s calling me?
Chi sono quelle persone che parlano con Marco?
Who are those people talking to Marco?
#3 “Chi” as an exclamation pronoun
Similarly, chi can also be used to kick off an exclamation. Again, it doesn’t change based on gender or number, and it’s only used when talking about people or living beings. For example:
Chi si rivede!
Who do we have here!
Chi cerca trova!
He who seeks finds!
Valentina Nicastro is a travel writer in love with her home country, Italy. Having travelled widely around the globe, she realised there was more to explore closer to home and decided to put the passport aside for a while. When she is not immersed in documenting Italy, you’ll find her donning her communication consultant hat, weaving words as a content writer and bridging linguistic divides as a translator.
