The demonstrative quello (that)
The demonstrative quello (that) always precedes the noun and must agree with it in both gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural).
Di chi è quel cane?
Who does that dog belong to?
Quella signora è nostra madre.
That woman is our mother.
It is used to indicate something or someone far away in terms of space and/or time - as opposed to questo (this), which refers to something that is nearby in terms of space and/or time.
Quello zaino in fondo all’aula è tuo.
That backpack at the back of the classroom is yours.
Quanto mi mancano quelle giornate al mare.
How I miss those days at the seaside.
| SINGOLARE | PLURALE | |
|---|---|---|
| ♀ | Quella + consonante Quell' + vocale | Quelle |
| ♂ | Quel + consonante Quell' + vocale Quello + s + consonante, x, y, z, gn, ps, pn | Quei + consonante Quegli + vocale, s + consonante, x, y, z, gn, ps, pn |
Quell’azienda assume solo donne.
That company only hires women.
Quello studente è molto intelligente!
That student is very intelligent!
Ricordo sempre con piacere quei giorni in montagna.
I always remember those days in the mountains fondly.
Note: just like the article (il, la, lo, etc.), the demonstrative must also agree in terms of both gender and number with the word it is referring to.
Quanto costano quelle mele? ( → le mele)
How much are those apples?
Quanto costano quegli spaghetti? ( → gli spaghetti)
How much is that spaghetti? (literally, “How much are those spaghetti?”, since spaghetti is a plural noun in Italian)
Quanto costa quel cappello? ( → il cappello)
How much is that hat?
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