🔍 In short. The italian chi interrogative is the question word for people: chi means “who”. It is one form for everything (no masculine, no feminine, no plural): chi è? “who is it?”, chi sono? “who are they?”. When a preposition is involved, Italian puts it before chi, not at the end of the sentence: con chi? “who with?”, a chi? “to whom?”, di chi? “whose?”. This A1 guide covers all the everyday uses, the direct and indirect question, and the small handful of patterns that cover ninety percent of real conversations.
The italian chi interrogative is one of the first words you’ll need at a door, on the phone, in front of a counter, or whenever you point at something and want to know whose it is. Get the four patterns (chi, con chi, a chi, di chi) and you can ask almost any question about people in Italian.
Cosa impareremo oggi
👆🏻 Jump to section
- What chi means and why it never changes
- Chi è: the basic identification question
- Con chi: “with whom”
- A chi: “to whom”
- Di chi: “whose”
- Per chi, da chi: two more useful patterns
- Indirect questions: voglio sapere chi…
- Chissà and chi mai: a small bonus
- Cheat sheet
- Dialogue at the bakery in Verona
- Mini-challenge
- Frequently asked questions
- Related guides
What chi means and why it never changes
Stand in front of a closed door in Verona, hear the bell ring, and the first word out of any Italian’s mouth is chi è?. The italian chi interrogative is the single question word Italian uses for asking about a person, and it is one of the friendliest words in the language because it has only one form. No masculine, no feminine, no singular, no plural. The same chi covers “who”, “whom”, “who is”, “who are”.
- Chi è quel signore con la giacca grigia?
Who is that gentleman in the grey jacket? - Chi sono quelle ragazze in piazza Bra?
Who are those girls in piazza Bra? - Chi prende un caffè?
Who’s having a coffee? - Chi viene al mercato sabato mattina?
Who’s coming to the market on Saturday morning?
Notice the verb agrees with the answer you expect: singular è in the first example, plural sono in the second. That is the only thing that moves; chi itself stays the same. The italian chi interrogative is used only for people, never for things or animals (for things you use che cosa? or che?, a separate guide). Keep that one boundary in mind and the italian chi interrogative will give you no further trouble at A1.
Chi è: the basic identification question
The single most common form of the italian chi interrogative is chi è?. You’ll hear it at doors, on the phone, in restaurants when a name is called, and in conversations when someone is pointed out across a room. English would say “who is it?” or “who’s that?”, and Italian compresses both into two short words.
- (suono al campanello) Chi è?
(doorbell rings) Who is it? - Chi è la signora con il cappello rosso?
Who’s the lady with the red hat? - Chi è il regista di questo film?
Who is the director of this film?
One small thing English speakers find odd: Italian does not need a personal pronoun next to chi. We say “Who are you?”, while Italians say chi sei?, with the verb ending carrying the “you”. The italian chi interrogative travels with verb endings, not pronouns, so chi sei? (you, informal), chi è? (he, she, it, or formal “you”), chi siete? (you all). Three short questions, no extra words.
🔍 One form, one job. Chi is for people only and never changes shape. If you want to ask about a thing, use che or che cosa (che cos’è? “what is it?”). If you want “which one” out of a known group, use quale. The italian chi interrogative is the cleanest of the three because it has only one form to remember.
Con chi: “with whom”
This is where the italian chi interrogative starts to feel different from English. In English you can ask “Who are you going with?” and leave the preposition dangling at the end. In Italian you cannot. The preposition has to come before the chi, glued to the front of the question.
- Con chi vai al cinema stasera?
Who are you going to the cinema with tonight? - Con chi parli al telefono, Roberto?
Who are you talking to on the phone, Roberto? - Con chi studia italiano Caterina?
Who does Caterina study Italian with? - Con chi abiti a Verona?
Who do you live with in Verona?
Hearing yourself say chi vai con? instead of con chi vai? is a clear signal of an English-speaking learner. The italian chi interrogative wants the preposition right next to it. The rule is the same with a, di, per, da: preposition first, chi second, then the verb.
A chi: “to whom”
A chi? asks “to whom?”, meaning the person who receives something, the person an action is directed at. You’ll need it at a florist’s, at a counter handing things over, when answering the phone, or whenever someone is the destination of what you’re doing.
- A chi devo dare questi fiori?
Who do I give these flowers to? - A chi scrivi, Caterina?
Who are you writing to, Caterina? - A chi parlavi prima?
Who were you talking to before? - A chi posso chiedere un’informazione?
Who can I ask for some information?
Again, no stranded preposition. The italian chi interrogative pairs cleanly with a, and the answer usually comes back the same way: a Roberto, al direttore, alla signora del primo piano. The italian chi interrogative makes recipient questions short and direct.
Di chi: “whose”
English has a special word for “whose”: one syllable, no preposition. Italian does not. It uses di chi, literally “of whom”, and that is the standard way to ask about belonging. The italian chi interrogative with di covers every “whose?” question.
- Di chi è la bicicletta blu davanti alla biblioteca?
Whose is the blue bike in front of the library? - Di chi sono questi occhiali sul bancone?
Whose are these glasses on the counter? - Di chi è quella borsa rossa?
Whose is that red bag? - Di chi parli, Roberto? Non conosco quella persona.
Who are you talking about, Roberto? I don’t know that person.
Two things to notice about the italian chi interrogative with di. First, the verb agrees with the object: di chi è (singular thing) versus di chi sono (plural things). Second, di chi covers both “whose” (possession: di chi è la macchina?) and “about whom” (di chi parli?). Context makes the difference clear, and English learners pick it up after a couple of exchanges.
🎯 Mini-task #1. Fill in the right form of the italian chi interrogative: chi, con chi, a chi, or di chi.
- ______ è quel ragazzo? Non lo conosco.
- ______ vai al concerto domani?
- ______ è questa macchina rossa davanti a casa?
- ______ devo dare le chiavi del negozio?
- ______ sono questi libri sul tavolo?
- ______ parla in cucina con Caterina?
👉 Show answers
1. Chi · 2. Con chi · 3. Di chi · 4. A chi · 5. Di chi · 6. Chi
Per chi, da chi: two more useful patterns
Two more prepositions complete the set you’ll actually use at A1. Per chi means “for whom”, asking about the beneficiary of an action. Da chi means “from whom” or, very common in Italian, “at whose place” (when you go to visit someone or to a professional).
- Per chi sono questi cornetti?
Who are these croissants for? - Per chi compri il regalo, Roberto?
Who are you buying the gift for, Roberto? - Da chi vai sabato pomeriggio?
Whose place are you going to on Saturday afternoon? - Da chi hai sentito questa storia?
Who did you hear this story from?
Italian uses da plus a person constantly to mean “at someone’s place”: vado da Caterina “I’m going to Caterina’s”, vengo da te “I’m coming to your place”. So da chi vai? is the italian chi interrogative version of “whose place are you going to?”, a sentence English needs five words to build and Italian wraps in three.
Indirect questions: voglio sapere chi…
The italian chi interrogative also opens indirect questions, the ones that come after verbs like sapere (“to know”), chiedere (“to ask”), dire (“to say”). The word order is the same as in English: subject, verb, chi, and the rest.
- Non so chi suona alla porta.
I don’t know who’s ringing the bell. - Voglio sapere chi ha telefonato.
I want to know who called. - Roberto chiede sempre con chi esco la sera.
Roberto always asks who I go out with in the evening. - Dimmi a chi devo dare le chiavi.
Tell me who I should give the keys to.
No question mark at the end of these sentences (they are statements, not questions), but the italian chi interrogative is doing exactly the same job inside them. The preposition rule still holds: con chi esco, a chi dare, never with the preposition at the end.
Chissà and chi mai: a small bonus
Two expressions show up everywhere in spoken Italian and both come straight from the italian chi interrogative. Chissà (literally chi sa, “who knows”) is a one-word “who knows” or “I wonder”: you’ll hear it dozens of times a day. Chi mai is an emphatic “who on earth”, more typical of careful writing and a touch theatrical.
- Chissà a che ora torna Caterina stasera.
Who knows what time Caterina will be back tonight. - Chissà chi ha lasciato questo ombrello qui.
I wonder who left this umbrella here. - Chi mai potrebbe rispondere a una domanda simile?
Who on earth could answer a question like that?
You don’t need to use chissà yet at A1 to be understood, but recognising it the first ten times you hear it will save you a lot of confusion. It is one word, one stress (chis-SÀ), and it is the everyday cousin of the italian chi interrogative in spoken speech.
Cheat sheet
The complete map of the italian chi interrogative on one screen. Print it or screenshot it, and keep it open the first few times you build a question with the italian chi interrogative aloud.
| Italian | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Chi? | Who? | Chi è? = Who is it? |
| Chi sono? | Who are…? | Chi sono quelle ragazze? = Who are those girls? |
| Con chi? | With whom? | Con chi vai? = Who are you going with? |
| A chi? | To whom? | A chi scrivi? = Who are you writing to? |
| Di chi? | Whose? / About whom? | Di chi è? = Whose is it? |
| Per chi? | For whom? | Per chi è? = Who is it for? |
| Da chi? | From whom? / At whose place? | Da chi vai? = Whose place are you going to? |
| Voglio sapere chi… | I want to know who… | Voglio sapere chi ha telefonato. |
| Chissà | Who knows / I wonder | Chissà chi è. = I wonder who it is. |
Dialogue at the bakery in Verona
Caterina runs a small bakery near piazza Bra. Roberto is a regular customer who’s stopped in for the morning bread. Count the forms of the italian chi interrogative as you read: there are nine of them, woven naturally into a two-minute conversation. This is the italian chi interrogative in its natural habitat: a counter, a small talk, a question about a stranger’s bike.
👩🏼🦰 Caterina: Buongiorno Roberto! Cosa prendi oggi?
Good morning Roberto! What are you having today?
👨🏽🦱 Roberto: Mezzo chilo di pane e quattro cornetti.
Half a kilo of bread and four croissants.
👩🏼🦰 Caterina: Per chi sono i cornetti? Hai ospiti?
Who are the croissants for? Do you have guests?
👨🏽🦱 Roberto: Sì, viene mia sorella con i bambini. A proposito, di chi è quella bicicletta gialla davanti al negozio?
Yes, my sister is coming with the kids. By the way, whose is that yellow bike in front of the shop?
👩🏼🦰 Caterina: Non lo so, è lì da stamattina. Chissà chi l’ha lasciata.
I don’t know, it’s been there since this morning. Who knows who left it.
👨🏽🦱 Roberto: Forse è di quella signora con il cappello. Tu sai chi è?
Maybe it’s that lady with the hat’s. Do you know who she is?
👩🏼🦰 Caterina: No, non la conosco. Senti, a chi devo dare il resto, a te o a tua sorella?
No, I don’t know her. Listen, who do I give the change to, you or your sister?
👨🏽🦱 Roberto: A me, grazie. Caterina, con chi lavori in panificio adesso?
To me, thanks. Caterina, who do you work with at the bakery now?
👩🏼🦰 Caterina: Con mia cugina Elena, il sabato. Da chi vai per il pranzo di domenica?
With my cousin Elena, on Saturdays. Whose place are you going to for Sunday lunch?
👨🏽🦱 Roberto: Dai miei genitori, come sempre. Allora ci vediamo sabato.
To my parents’, as always. See you Saturday then.
Count them: per chi sono, di chi è, chissà chi, chi è, a chi devo dare, con chi lavori, da chi vai. Seven different patterns in one short conversation. The italian chi interrogative carries the whole exchange, with the prepositions handling the role each person plays in the question.
Mini-challenge
🎯 Mini-challenge. Translate into natural Italian using the italian chi interrogative.
- Who is it? (at the door)
- Whose is this red umbrella?
- Who are you going to the cinema with?
- Who do I give the keys to?
- Who are these flowers for?
- I want to know who called this morning.
👉 Show answers
1. Chi è? · 2. Di chi è questo ombrello rosso? · 3. Con chi vai al cinema? · 4. A chi devo dare le chiavi? · 5. Per chi sono questi fiori? · 6. Voglio sapere chi ha telefonato stamattina.
Test your understanding
Take the quiz below to test what you’ve learned about the italian chi interrogative.
(Quiz coming soon)
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Frequently asked questions
Six questions about the italian chi interrogative that come up in every A1 classroom. The grammar is also documented in the Treccani entry on pronomi interrogativi.
Does chi change for masculine, feminine, singular, or plural?
No. The italian chi interrogative has one single form for everything. Chi e quel signore? (one man), chi e quella signora? (one woman), chi sono quei ragazzi? (group), chi sono quelle ragazze? (group of women) all use the same chi. The only word that moves is the verb: e for singular, sono for plural. That is what makes chi one of the easiest words to learn at A1: no agreement tables, no exceptions.
How do I say ‘whose’ in Italian?
With di chi, literally ‘of whom’. Italian has no single word equivalent to English ‘whose’. You ask di chi e questa borsa? for ‘whose is this bag?’ and di chi sono questi occhiali? for ‘whose are these glasses?’. The verb agrees with the object (e for one thing, sono for several), and the answer comes back the same way: di Caterina, del professore, della signora.
Why does Italian say ‘con chi vai?’ instead of ‘chi vai con?’
Because Italian does not allow what English calls ‘stranded prepositions’. The preposition (con, a, di, per, da) must come immediately before chi, not at the end of the sentence. So you say con chi vai? (with whom are you going?), a chi parli? (who are you talking to?), di chi e? (whose is it?). Saying chi vai con? is one of the clearest signals of a beginner English speaker; getting the preposition in front fixes it immediately.
What is the difference between chi and che?
Chi is for people only: chi e? means who is it?. Che (or che cosa, or just cosa) is for things and ideas: che cos’e? means what is it?. If you want to ask ‘who’ use chi, if you want to ask ‘what’ use che. The two never overlap. There is also quale (‘which one’), which picks one out of a known group of people or things: quale preferisci? means which one do you prefer?. Three different words for three different jobs.
Do I need to say ‘chi sei tu?’ or just ‘chi sei?’
Just chi sei?. Italian does not need a personal pronoun next to chi because the verb ending already carries the person. Chi sei? means who are you (informal)?, chi e? means who is he/she/it? or who are you (formal)?, chi siete? means who are you all?. Adding tu, lei, or voi is grammatically possible but sounds heavy and unnecessary in normal conversation. The same applies in indirect questions: voglio sapere chi sei, not voglio sapere chi sei tu.
What does ‘chissa’ mean and when do I use it?
Chissa is a contraction of chi sa (‘who knows’) and works as a one-word ‘who knows’ or ‘I wonder’ at the start of a thought. Chissa chi ha lasciato l’ombrello means ‘I wonder who left the umbrella’, chissa a che ora arriva means ‘who knows what time he is arriving’. It is everywhere in spoken Italian and very natural. You can also see chi mai used in writing for ‘who on earth’, as in chi mai poteva immaginarlo? meaning ‘who could ever have imagined it?’, but chissa is the everyday word.
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Related guides
Three guides that pair naturally with the italian chi interrogative, plus an institutional reference for the curious.
- Italian Dove and Quando: Asking ‘Where’ and ‘When’ (A1): the next two question words you’ll need in conversation.
- Italian Quanto: How to Ask ‘How Much’ and ‘How Many’ (A1): covers prices, quantities, duration, and exclamations.
- Italian Motion Prepositions: A, Da, Verso, In, Fino A (A1): the prepositions that pair with chi for movement and direction.
- Treccani: Pronomi interrogativi: native institutional reference on Italian interrogative pronouns.
