In English, we use the expression “I wonder…” to express curiosity or contemplate something that baffles us. This phrase is very useful in everyday conversations, as we humans are naturally predisposed to think and ponder.
In Italian, there are three potential translations for the phrase “I wonder.” Curious to discover them? Then let’s take a look!
1. Mi chiedo…
Mi chiedo is the first person singular conjugation of the verb chiedersi, which literally means “to ask oneself.” Chiedere on its own means “to ask”.
- Mi chiedo se… = I wonder if…
- Mi chiedo chi… = I wonder who…
- Mi chiedo (che) cosa… = I wonder what
- Mi chiedo dove… = I wonder where…
- Mi chiedo quando… = I wonder when…
- Mi chiedo come… = I wonder how…
- Mi chiedo quanto… = I wonder how much…
- Mi chiedo perché… = I wonder why…
Mi chiedo chi verrà alla festa.
I wonder who will come to the party.
2. Mi domando…
There is another verb that means “to ask oneself” in Italian – domandarsi – and mi domando is the first person singular conjugation of this verb. Between mi chiedo and mi domando, I would say that the former is more commonly heard in everyday speech.
- Mi domando se… = I wonder if…
- Mi domando chi… = I wonder who…
- Mi domando (che) cosa… = I wonder what…
- Mi domando dove… = I wonder where…
- Mi domando quando… = I wonder when…
- Mi domando come… = I wonder how…
- Mi domando quanto… = I wonder how much…
- Mi domando perché… = I wonder why…
Although chiedere and domandare are considered synonyms, there is a subtle difference between them: you use domandare when you want to know something, and chiedere when you want something. However, they both mean “to wonder” when in their reflexive form.
Mi domando perché abbiamo paura dei ragni.
I wonder why we’re afraid of spiders.
3. Chissà…
The literal translation for chissà (from chi lo sa) is actually “who knows“. That said, it can also mean “I wonder” when introducing a subordinate clause starting with se (if) or a question word.
- Chissà se… = I wonder if…
- Chissà chi… = I wonder who…
- Chissà (che) cosa… = I wonder what…
- Chissà dove… = I wonder where…
- Chissà quando… = I wonder when…
- Chissà come… = I wonder how…
- Chissà quanto… = I wonder how much…
- Chissà perché… = I wonder why…
Chissà quanto dovremo pagare.
I wonder how much we’ll have to pay.
Heather Broster is a graduate with honours in linguistics from the University of Western Ontario. She is an aspiring polyglot, proficient in English and Italian, as well as Japanese, Welsh, and French to varying degrees of fluency. Originally from Toronto, Heather has resided in various countries, notably Italy for a period of six years. Her primary focus lies in the fields of language acquisition, education, and bilingual instruction.
