{"id":28972,"date":"2019-11-21T00:31:42","date_gmt":"2019-11-20T15:31:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/?p=28972"},"modified":"2026-04-21T21:46:04","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T12:46:04","slug":"italian-cleft-sentences","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/italian-cleft-sentences\/","title":{"rendered":"Italian Cleft Sentences: \u00c8 &#8230; Che for Focus and Emphasis"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Italian cleft sentences are the grammar tool that lets you shine a spotlight on one word in your sentence. &#8220;\u00c8 Marco che ha detto di no&#8221; does not mean the same thing as &#8220;Marco ha detto di no&#8221;. The cleft reshapes the information: everybody knew someone said no, and now you are naming the culprit. This guide walks through the full structure, both the explicit (<em>che<\/em>) and implicit (<em>a + infinitive<\/em>) forms, and shows where Italian uses clefts even when English would not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Italian cleft sentences are one of the country&#8217;s favourite focalization tools, alongside dislocation. If you have already read our guide on <a href=\"\/eng\/italian-stressed-pronouns\/\">Italian stressed pronouns<\/a>, you have seen dislocation at work. This post is the sibling guide on clefts.<\/p>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-is\">What cleft sentences are: focalization in plain English<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Take a plain Italian sentence:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Federico non vuole andare in piscina.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Now add <em>\u00e8<\/em> at the front, pull one word out, and tie the rest back with <em>che<\/em>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>\u00c8 Federico che non vuole andare in piscina.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>You have just built a <strong>frase scissa<\/strong>, a cleft sentence. The two versions describe the same fact, but the second one changes the communicative focus. The first is a neutral statement: Federico does not want to go to the pool. The second implies a contrast: out of everyone we might have expected, Federico is the one saying no. The pool trip is old news; the new information is <em>who<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Italian linguists call the move behind Italian cleft sentences <a href=\"https:\/\/www.treccani.it\/enciclopedia\/focalizzazioni_(Enciclopedia-dell&#039;Italiano)\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">focalizzazione<\/a>. Every language has focalization tools. English uses stress (&#8220;<em>Federico<\/em> doesn&#8217;t want to go&#8221;) or the &#8220;it&#8217;s X who\/that&#8221; construction (&#8220;It&#8217;s Federico who doesn&#8217;t want to go&#8221;). Italian has the full cleft family plus dislocation. Native speakers switch between them constantly without thinking about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"structure\">The basic structure of Italian cleft: \u00e8 + X + che<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The skeleton of explicit Italian cleft sentences is three pieces: the verb <em>essere<\/em>, the focused element, and the subordinate clause introduced by <em>che<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>\u00c8<\/strong> Laura <strong>che<\/strong> ha chiamato.<br><em>It was Laura who called.<\/em><\/li><li><strong>\u00c8<\/strong> domani <strong>che<\/strong> parto.<br><em>It&#8217;s tomorrow that I&#8217;m leaving.<\/em><\/li><li><strong>\u00c8<\/strong> con te <strong>che<\/strong> voglio parlare.<br><em>You&#8217;re the one I want to talk to.<\/em><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The verb <em>essere<\/em> agrees in tense and number with the focused element:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Sono<\/strong> i tuoi amici che devono scusarsi. (plural)<\/li><li><strong>Era<\/strong> in aprile che ci siamo conosciuti. (past)<\/li><li><strong>Saranno<\/strong> loro a decidere. (future, implicit)<\/li><li><strong>Sono stato io<\/strong> a dirtelo. (passato prossimo, implicit)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The focused slot in Italian cleft sentences can hold almost anything: a noun phrase, a prepositional phrase, a whole clause in the infinitive or gerund.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"explicit-implicit\">Explicit vs implicit cleft: che vs a + infinitive<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Italian cleft sentences come in two flavours. The first, with <em>che<\/em>, is called <strong>explicit<\/strong> because the subordinate verb is conjugated. The second, with <em>a + infinito<\/em>, is called <strong>implicit<\/strong> because the subordinate verb stays in the infinitive. They exchange places only when the subject of the original sentence is the focused element.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Explicit<\/strong>: \u00c8 Federico <strong>che<\/strong> non vuole andare in piscina.<\/li><li><strong>Implicit<\/strong>: \u00c8 Federico <strong>a non volere<\/strong> andare in piscina.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Both Italian cleft sentences are grammatical and mean the same thing. The explicit version is the default choice in most registers. The implicit version is slightly more formal and sounds more written than spoken. Use it when the focused element is the subject and you want a compact, elegant phrasing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The implicit cleft only works when the focused element is the subject of the subordinate verb. You cannot say &#8220;\u00c8 a Federico a parlare&#8221; or &#8220;\u00c8 il libro a leggere&#8221; meaning &#8220;It&#8217;s the book I&#8217;m reading&#8221;: in those cases you must stick with <em>che<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>\u2705 \u00c8 Laura <strong>a chiamare<\/strong> sempre per prima. (Laura is the caller, she is the subject)<\/li><li>\u2705 \u00c8 Laura <strong>che<\/strong> chiamo sempre per prima. (Laura is the one I call, she is the object)<\/li><li>\u274c \u00c8 Laura <strong>a chiamare<\/strong> sempre per prima il marted\u00ec. Wrong if you mean &#8220;Laura is whom I call on Tuesdays&#8221;.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If you are unsure which form to use, default to the explicit cleft with <em>che<\/em>. It is always safe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what-to-focalize\">What you can focalize with a cleft<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In Italian cleft sentences, almost any sentence constituent can land in the focus slot. The preposition (if any) travels with it. Here is a guided tour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Subject<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>\u00c8 <strong>Marco<\/strong> che ha prenotato il tavolo.<br><em>Marco is the one who booked the table.<\/em><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Direct object<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Sono <strong>le mie scarpe<\/strong> che vuoi buttare?<br><em>Is it my shoes that you want to throw away?<\/em><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Time<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>\u00c8 <strong>sabato<\/strong> che parto per le vacanze.<br><em>It&#8217;s Saturday that I&#8217;m leaving for holiday.<\/em><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Company and instrument<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>\u00c8 <strong>con Laura<\/strong> che voglio sposarmi.<br><em>Laura is the one I want to marry.<\/em><\/li><li>\u00c8 <strong>con questa penna<\/strong> che firmo sempre.<br><em>This is the pen I always sign with.<\/em><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Purpose and cause<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>\u00c8 <strong>per questo<\/strong> che ti ho telefonato.<br><em>That&#8217;s why I called you.<\/em><\/li><li>\u00c8 stato <strong>per il raffreddore<\/strong> che non sono uscito.<br><em>It was because of the cold that I didn&#8217;t go out.<\/em><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Manner<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>\u00c8 <strong>con odio<\/strong> che me lo hanno detto.<br><em>It was with hatred that they told me.<\/em><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Topic<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>\u00c8 <strong>di politica<\/strong> che non amo parlare.<br><em>Politics is what I don&#8217;t like talking about.<\/em><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A whole action<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>\u00c8 <strong>lavorando duro<\/strong> che si ottengono risultati.<br><em>It&#8217;s by working hard that you get results.<\/em><\/li><li>\u00c8 <strong>correre<\/strong> che non mi entusiasma.<br><em>Running is what doesn&#8217;t excite me.<\/em><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The pattern is always the same: whatever you move into the focus slot, the rest of the sentence rebuilds itself around <em>che<\/em>. This is why Italian cleft sentences feel so productive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"time-duration\">Time-duration clefts: \u00e8 (da) un anno che<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the most common uses of Italian cleft sentences in daily speech is stating how long something has been going on or not going on. The pattern is <em>\u00e8 + (da) + time span + che<\/em>, and the preposition <em>da<\/em> is often dropped in speech.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>\u00c8 <strong>(da) una vita<\/strong> che non ci vediamo.<br><em>We haven&#8217;t seen each other in ages.<\/em><\/li><li>\u00c8 <strong>(da) un anno<\/strong> che provo a telefonarti.<br><em>I&#8217;ve been trying to call you for a year.<\/em><\/li><li>Era <strong>dall&#8217;estate scorsa<\/strong> che volevo vedere quel film.<br><em>I&#8217;d been wanting to see that film since last summer.<\/em><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>English would default to present perfect continuous (&#8220;I have been trying&#8221;), but Italian pairs the cleft with the present tense for ongoing situations. When the situation is in the past, the copula shifts to the imperfect: <em>era da&#8230;che<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"cleft-questions\">Cleft questions in spoken Italian<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In northern speech, especially around Milan, questions are often built as Italian cleft sentences:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Dov&#8217;\u00e8 che andate?<br><em>Where are you going? (literally &#8220;where is it that you go&#8221;)<\/em><\/li><li>Cos&#8217;\u00e8 che vogliono quelli l\u00ec?<br><em>What do those people want?<\/em><\/li><li>Da dov&#8217;\u00e8 che venite?<br><em>Where are you coming from?<\/em><\/li><li>Da quant&#8217;\u00e8 che sei arrivato?<br><em>How long ago did you arrive?<\/em><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>A plain Italian speaker from Rome or Naples would say &#8220;Dove andate&#8221;, &#8220;Cosa vogliono quelli&#8221;, &#8220;Da quanto sei arrivato&#8221;. The Milanese preference for cleft questions comes from the local dialect: in Milanese, interrogatives naturally project a cleft. Other parts of Italy sometimes tease the Milanese for this, but it is fully native Italian and perfectly standard in informal speech.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Written Italian, particularly in exams or business writing, stays closer to the neutral form: <em>Dove andate<\/em>, not <em>Dov&#8217;\u00e8 che andate<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"cleft-vs-dislocation\">Cleft vs dislocation: which focalization tool for which job<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Both cleft and dislocation move a sentence element out of its default slot to reshape the focus. They are not the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Cleft<\/strong>: adds the verb <em>essere<\/em> and creates a new main clause. The element after <em>\u00e8<\/em> is the <em>new<\/em> information.<br>Example: <em>\u00c8 il caff\u00e8 che bevo tutti i giorni.<\/em> (The focus is <em>coffee<\/em>, contrasted with tea or water.)<\/li><li><strong>Dislocation<\/strong>: no new copula. It moves a phrase to the edge of the sentence and doubles it with a clitic. The dislocated element is the <em>topic<\/em>, often old information.<br>Example: <em>Il caff\u00e8, lo bevo tutti i giorni.<\/em> (The topic is coffee; we are now talking about it.)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Rule of thumb: Italian cleft sentences highlight <em>new<\/em> information; dislocation sets up the <em>topic<\/em>. If you are naming a culprit (&#8220;\u00c8 Marco che&#8230;&#8221;), use cleft. If you are commenting on something already in the conversation (&#8220;Il caff\u00e8, lo bevo&#8230;&#8221;), use dislocation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For the full treatment of dislocation, see <a href=\"\/eng\/italian-stressed-pronouns\/\">our guide on stressed pronouns and dislocation<\/a>. For the subordinate clause patterns that often follow cleft sentences, see <a href=\"\/eng\/italian-subordinating-conjunctions\/\">Italian subordinating conjunctions<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-p28972-dialog-wrap\">\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"dialog\">A short dialog: who canceled dinner?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Ilaria and Daniele are in a Milan cafe, arguing about a dinner reservation that fell through.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>\ud83d\udc69 <strong>Ilaria:<\/strong> Senti, sei <strong>tu che<\/strong> hai cancellato la prenotazione, non io.<br><em>Listen, you&#8217;re the one who cancelled the booking, not me.<\/em><\/li><li>\ud83d\udc68 <strong>Daniele:<\/strong> Ma no, \u00e8 <strong>stata Anna a dire<\/strong> che non veniva.<br><em>No, Anna is the one who said she wasn&#8217;t coming.<\/em><\/li><li>\ud83d\udc69 <strong>Ilaria:<\/strong> Il ristorante, per\u00f2, lo avevi prenotato tu. \u00c8 <strong>da settimane che<\/strong> proviamo a vederci.<br><em>But you were the one who booked the restaurant. We&#8217;ve been trying to meet up for weeks.<\/em><\/li><li>\ud83d\udc68 <strong>Daniele:<\/strong> Dov&#8217;\u00e8 che ci spostiamo allora? Qui \u00e8 pieno.<br><em>Where do we move then? This place is packed.<\/em><\/li><li>\ud83d\udc69 <strong>Ilaria:<\/strong> Cos&#8217;\u00e8 che vuoi mangiare? Decidi tu.<br><em>What do you feel like eating? You decide.<\/em><\/li><li>\ud83d\udc68 <strong>Daniele:<\/strong> \u00c8 <strong>pizza<\/strong> che voglio, non ho voglia di niente di complicato.<br><em>Pizza is what I want, nothing complicated.<\/em><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Count the Italian cleft sentences you just heard: a subject cleft (<em>sei tu che hai cancellato<\/em>), an implicit cleft with <em>a<\/em> (<em>\u00e8 stata Anna a dire<\/em>), a time-duration cleft (<em>\u00e8 da settimane che<\/em>), two Milanese cleft questions (<em>dov&#8217;\u00e8 che, cos&#8217;\u00e8 che<\/em>), and an object cleft (<em>\u00e8 pizza che voglio<\/em>). Plus one left dislocation just to see the contrast (<em>Il ristorante&#8230;lo avevi prenotato<\/em>).<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-p28972-cheat-wrap\">\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"cheatsheet\">\ud83d\udccc Quick recap<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Explicit cleft:<\/strong> \u00e8 + X + che + conjugated verb. Default, safe in all registers.<\/li><li><strong>Implicit cleft:<\/strong> \u00e8 + X + a + infinitive. Only when the focused element is the subject. Slightly more formal.<\/li><li><strong>Copula agreement:<\/strong> <em>essere<\/em> matches tense and number with the focused element (<em>sono loro, era ieri, saranno i bambini<\/em>).<\/li><li><strong>Time-duration:<\/strong> \u00e8 (da) + time span + che. Preposition <em>da<\/em> often dropped in speech.<\/li><li><strong>Cleft questions:<\/strong> northern Italian, especially Milan (<em>dov&#8217;\u00e8 che, cos&#8217;\u00e8 che, da quant&#8217;\u00e8 che<\/em>). Informal only.<\/li><li><strong>Cleft vs dislocation:<\/strong> cleft highlights new information, dislocation sets up old information as topic.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"challenge\">&#x1F3AF; Mini challenge: build the cleft<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"border:1px solid #dddddd;border-radius:8px;padding:20px 25px;margin:20px 0;\">\n<p>Rewrite each plain sentence as one of the Italian cleft sentences focusing on the underlined element. Answers below.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Ho comprato il pane <u>da Luigi<\/u>. (focus: da Luigi)<\/li>\n<li><u>Marco<\/u> ha rotto il vaso. (focus: Marco, explicit)<\/li>\n<li><u>Marco<\/u> ha rotto il vaso. (focus: Marco, implicit)<\/li>\n<li>Ti ho chiamato <u>per questo<\/u>. (focus: per questo)<\/li>\n<li>Non vedevo mia zia <u>da tre anni<\/u>. (time-duration cleft)<\/li>\n<li>Non amo parlare <u>di politica<\/u>. (focus: di politica)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<details><summary><strong>Show answers<\/strong><\/summary>\n<ol>\n<li>\u00c8 da Luigi che ho comprato il pane.<\/li>\n<li>\u00c8 Marco che ha rotto il vaso.<\/li>\n<li>\u00c8 Marco a aver rotto il vaso. (or: \u00c8 stato Marco a rompere il vaso.)<\/li>\n<li>\u00c8 per questo che ti ho chiamato.<\/li>\n<li>Erano tre anni che non vedevo mia zia.<\/li>\n<li>\u00c8 di politica che non amo parlare.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/details>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-p28972-qc-wrap\"><div class=\"gb-inside-container\">\n<div class=\"gb-grid-wrapper gb-grid-wrapper-p28972-qc-grid\">\n<div class=\"gb-grid-column gb-grid-column-p28972-qc-left\"><div class=\"gb-container gb-container-p28972-qc-left\">\n\n<h2 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-p28972-qc-title gb-headline-text\">Quattro<br>Chiacchiere<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-text-color has-medium-font-size\" style=\"color:#597e4d\"><strong>Conversazione italiana su Zoom<\/strong><br>Livello B2 &#8211; C1<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/4-chiacchiere-donne.webp\" alt=\"Quattro Chiacchiere Italian course on Zoom\" class=\"wp-image-50464\" style=\"width:200px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/4-chiacchiere-donne.webp 300w, https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/4-chiacchiere-donne-150x150.webp 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<div class=\"gb-grid-column gb-grid-column-p28972-qc-right\"><div class=\"gb-container gb-container-p28972-qc-right\">\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:600\">Vuoi finalmente <em>parlare<\/em> italiano?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Quattro Chiacchiere &egrave; il nostro corso di conversazione in piccolo gruppo su Zoom. Lezioni tematiche, insegnante madrelingua, tanto spazio per parlare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Lezioni live su Zoom, insegnante madrelingua<\/li><li>Classi piccole, massimo 4 studenti<\/li><li>Temi di attualit&agrave;, cultura, film, libri<\/li><li>Conversazione, non grammatica<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-p28972-qc-btn-wrap\">\n\n<a class=\"gb-button gb-button-p28972-qc-btn gb-button-text\" href=\"\/eng\/quattro-chiacchiere-intro\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Scopri di pi&ugrave;<\/a>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>For the sibling topic of dislocation (moving elements without adding <em>essere<\/em>), see our guide on <a href=\"\/eng\/italian-stressed-pronouns\/\">Italian stressed pronouns<\/a>. For the subordinate clauses that frequently appear after a cleft, see <a href=\"\/eng\/italian-concessive-clauses-sebbene-benche-anche-se\/\">Italian concessive clauses<\/a>. For Treccani&#8217;s technical treatment, read the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.treccani.it\/enciclopedia\/focalizzazioni_(Enciclopedia-dell&#039;Italiano)\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">focalizzazioni entry<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"faq\">FAQ<\/h2>\n\n\n<div id=\"rank-math-faq\" class=\"rank-math-block\">\n<div class=\"rank-math-list \">\n<div id=\"faq-cleft-q1\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">What is a cleft sentence in Italian?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>A cleft sentence is a focalization tool that splits one neutral sentence into a main clause with essere plus a subordinate clause introduced by che or a. The structure is: \u00e8 + focused element + che + rest of the sentence. Example: the neutral Federico non vuole andare becomes \u00c8 Federico che non vuole andare, putting the spotlight on Federico.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-cleft-q2\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">When do I use \u00e8 X che vs \u00e8 X a + infinitive?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>Use the explicit cleft with che as the default, in any register. Use the implicit cleft with a + infinitive only when the focused element is the subject of the subordinate verb: \u00c8 Marco a pagare (Marco is paying). If Marco is the object, you must use che: \u00c8 Marco che vediamo stasera (Marco is the one we are seeing tonight).<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-cleft-q3\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">Why do Milanese speakers say cos&#8217;\u00e8 che vuoi?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>Northern Italian, and Milan in particular, inherits this cleft question pattern from the Milanese dialect, where interrogatives naturally project a cleft. Cos&#8217;\u00e8 che vuoi is fully grammatical Italian in informal speech, but written and formal registers prefer the neutral cosa vuoi.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-cleft-q4\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">Is a cleft sentence the same as dislocation?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>No. A cleft adds the verb essere and creates a new main clause: \u00c8 il caff\u00e8 che bevo tutti i giorni. Dislocation moves an element to the edge of the sentence and doubles it with a clitic, without adding essere: Il caff\u00e8, lo bevo tutti i giorni. Cleft highlights new information, dislocation sets up the topic.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-cleft-q5\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">Can I use cleft sentences in formal writing?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>Yes, cleft sentences are grammatical at every register. Essays, articles and business writing use them regularly. The only clearly informal cleft variants are the Milanese interrogatives (dov&#8217;\u00e8 che, cos&#8217;\u00e8 che), which belong in spoken Italian. The standard \u00e8 X che and \u00e8 X a + infinito forms are fine anywhere.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-cleft-q6\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">What can I focalize with a cleft sentence?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>Almost any sentence element: subject (\u00c8 Laura che chiama), object (Sono le scarpe che voglio), time (\u00c8 sabato che parto), place (\u00c8 a Roma che lavoro), company (\u00c8 con Laura che esco), cause (\u00c8 per questo che ti chiamo), manner (\u00c8 con cura che lo fa), topic (\u00c8 di politica che non parlo), and even whole actions (\u00c8 lavorando che si impara).<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-cleft-q7\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question \">In a cleft with a preposition, should I say \u00e8 a Luigi che or \u00e8 a Luigi a cui?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer \">\n\n<p>Stick with che. In a cleft the preposition clings to the focused element and che opens the subordinate clause: \u00e8 a Luigi che ho chiesto aiuto, \u00e8 con Laura che voglio sposarmi, \u00e8 di politica che non amo parlare. The fuller relative form \u00e8 a Luigi al quale ho chiesto aiuto is grammatical but sounds heavy and bookish. In speech and most writing, Italian strongly prefers che after a prepositional focus.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Italian cleft sentences are the grammar tool that lets you shine a spotlight on one word in your sentence. &#8220;\u00c8 Marco che ha detto di no&#8221; does not mean the same thing as &#8220;Marco ha detto di no&#8221;. The cleft reshapes the information: everybody knew someone said no, and now you are naming the culprit. &#8230; <a title=\"Italian Cleft Sentences: \u00c8 &#8230; Che for Focus and Emphasis\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/italian-cleft-sentences\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Italian Cleft Sentences: \u00c8 &#8230; Che for Focus and Emphasis\">Read more \u226b<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10020,"featured_media":29092,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"pmpro_default_level":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[1356,1358,1357,1354,1355],"class_list":["post-28972","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lingua","tag-dislocazione","tag-dislocazione-a-destra","tag-dislocazione-a-sinistra","tag-frasi-scisse","tag-sintassi","no-featured-image-padding","pmpro-has-access"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28972","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10020"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28972"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28972\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":59427,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28972\/revisions\/59427"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29092"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28972"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28972"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28972"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}