There are certain phrases that seem to pop of my mouth almost without thinking. One of them is the typical line “What’s wrong?” And I probably say it most often to mio figlio (my son)!
Sometimes it’s because he’s gone unusually silenzioso (quiet). Sometimes he’s come through the door looking abbattuto (despondent) after school. Sometimes I can tell from la sua espressione (his expression) that something has happened, even though he insists everything is fine. And sometimes, of course, there’s absolutely nothing wrong – he’s clearly just concentrating on something, or distracted, and I’m being an overly anxious mamma!
Since learning Italian as a second language, I’ve discovered that there isn’t just one way to ask What’s wrong? or What’s the matter? Quite the contrary, in fact! Italian gives you several different expressions, and the one you choose can subtly change the tone. Some sound casual and conversational, while others show more concern or suggest that you think something has happened. Here are some of the ones I find most useful!
1. Che c’è?
Che c’è? is probably the Italian phrase I reach for the most when I want to say What’s wrong? in a casual, everyday way to someone I know well.
Literally, it means something along the lines of What is there?, but that’s not how you should think of it in practice. In conversation, it can mean What’s wrong?, What’s the matter?, or simply What is it?
Imagine my son comes downstairs looking annoyed and drops his bag on the floor with a dramatic sigh. I might look at him and say:
Che c’è, amore? Sembri triste.
What’s wrong, love? You look sad.
2. Cosa c’è?
Another very common informal option is Cosa c’è? This is closely related to Che c’è? and can also mean What’s wrong?, What’s the matter?, or What is it? It simply replaces che with cosa, both of which mean what in this case. You can actually combine the two – Che cosa c’è? – without any real change in meaning.
Cosa c’è, Marco? Hai il musone da stamattina.
What’s wrong, Marco? You’ve been sulking since this morning.
3. (Che) Cos’hai?
Cos’hai? (or Che cos’hai?) is another really useful informal expression. Literally, it translates as What do you have? but in context it can mean What’s wrong?, What’s the matter? or What’s bothering you? You might use it when someone’s appearance or behaviour makes it obvious that something isn’t quite right.
Notice how cosa has been abbreviated to cos’ with an apostrophe. This is because hai, despite starting with a consonant, is pronounced ai.
Say my son comes home from dance class, looking depressed, and refuses to speak to me. I could ask him:
Cos’hai, tesoro? Sei più silenzioso del solito.
What’s wrong, sweetie? You’re unusually quiet.
In the plural, this becomes Cos’avete? You could use this when talking to more than one child, for example.
Note that you can also say Che hai? which sounds even more colloquial. A more slang version is Che c’hai?, where the c’ is ci, a pronoun that can have several meanings in Italian (see our dedicated article about ci vs ne). Here, ci is contracted before hai, giving the colloquial c’hai.
4. Che (cosa) succede?
Che (cosa) succede? means What’s happening? or What’s going on? – notice how it uses the verb succedere (to happen) – but it can very naturally become a substitute when you want to ask someone What’s wrong?
Imagine I walk into the room and discover that my son and i suoi amici (his friends) are all talking loudly at once. Something clearly happened, but I haven’t a clue what. I could ask:
Che succede? Non state litigando, spero!
What’s going on? I hope you aren’t arguing!
This phrase is particularly useful when you don’t yet know whether there actually is a problem. You’re asking what’s happening rather than automatically assuming something is wrong.
Similar to Che c’è?, you can substitle che with cosa, or you can use the two together.
- Che succede?
- Cosa succede?
- Che cosa succede?
5. Tutto bene?
Sometimes you don’t actually want to ask What’s wrong? directly. You simply want to know whether someone is okay. That’s where the ubiquitous phrase Tutto bene? comes into play. It means Everything okay? or Is everything all right?
Tutto bene, ragazzi? Non vi vedo molto felici.
Everything okay, guys? You don’t look very happy to me.
As in English, it’s just a gentle way of checking in with someone without putting pressure on them to explain themselves.
This phrase is often used as an informal greeting as well, such as when you see someone you know on the strada (street) or at the supermercato (supermarket).
6. Va tutto bene?
A slightly longer version is Va tutto bene?, meaning Is everything going okay? This phrase makes use of the verb andare (to go), and is used to ask whether everything is going well. Once again, it is particularly useful when you’re concerned about someone’s well-being but don’t yet know what the problem is, or if there is indeed a problem at all.
Va tutto bene? Non capita spesso di vederti giocare da solo.
Is everything okay? It’s not often that I see you playing alone.
7. C’è qualcosa che non va?
If you want to be more explicit, you can use the longer expression C’è qualcosa che non va? This means Is something wrong? but literally, it’s along the lines of Is there something that isn’t right?
Suppose my son has been frustrated with his homework for the last twenty minutes. He keeps rubbing out his answers and sighing. Instead of simply asking what’s wrong, I might say:
C’è qualcosa che non va? Sembri frustrato.
Is something wrong? You look frustrated.
8. È successo qualcosa?
Another useful expression is È successo qualcosa? and this means Did something happen? It’s slightly different from asking What’s wrong? because you’re specifically wondering whether an event has caused the person’s mood to change.
È successo qualcosa a scuola oggi? Raccontami tutto.
Did something happen at school today? Tell me everything.
You might also hear Che (cosa) ti è successo? which means What happened to you? and this is used when you can clearly see that something has happened, be it physical evidence like a scrape on your child’s knee, or the fact that he or she is crying.
The formal equivalent is Che (cosa) le è successo? and the plural form is Che (cosa) vi è successo?
Which one should you use?
The great thing about these expressions is that you don’t have to find one perfect translation for What’s wrong? Instead, think about what you’re actually trying to communicate.
If someone suddenly looks upset, Che c’è? or Cosa c’è? are two excellent choices that sound very natural in everyday spoken Italian. Keep in mind that they are informal, so it is best not to use them with your boss or the little old lady down the street that you’ve never met!
If all you’re doing is checking whether someone is okay, try Tutto bene? or Va tutto bene?
If you think something specific has happened, È successo qualcosa? should be your go-to choice. And if you want to ask what’s going on without assuming there’s a problem, Che succede? will do the trick.
Finally, if you’re asking someone close to you what is bothering them, you can’t get much more natural than Cos’hai?
Perhaps that’s one of the things I enjoy most about learning Italian. The language gives you so many different ways of expressing the same idea. And when you’re worrying about your child’s well-being day in and day out as I do, having a few alternatives definitely comes in handy!
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.
