Demonstrative Adjectives

Italiano A1A18. Unit 8: Shopping and Clothing

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Demonstrative Adjectives: This and That

When shopping in Italy, you need to point things out! In Italian, words for ‘this’ and ‘that’ change based on the gender and starting letter of the noun they describe, just like definite articles (il, la, lo, l’).

1. Questo (This / These)

Use questo for masculine nouns and questa for feminine nouns when they are close to you.

• Questo cappotto (This coat)
• Questa gonna (This skirt)

2. Quello (That / Those)

Use quello for masculine nouns and quella for feminine nouns when they are further away. Note that quello often changes like ‘il/lo/l” before certain letters!

• Quello stivale (That boot – before s+consonant or z)
• Quel cappotto (That coat – before normal consonants)
• Quella borsa (That bag)

Common Mistake: Don’t forget to match the gender! Saying questo borsa is incorrect because borsa is feminine; it must be questa borsa.