Italian · Greetings & Essentials

"That" in Italian: quello/a

quello/a

Say it: KWEHL-lohpronoun/ˈkwɛl.lo/

That in Italian is quello (KWEHL-loh) masculine and quella feminine. Plural quelli / quelle. Keep quello as its own word when pointing farther away.

Pointing at a jacket

Prendo quello blu, non questo.
I'll take that blue one, not this.
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How to pronounce quello/a

Say it

KWEHL-loh

/ˈkwɛl.lo/

Quello stresses KWEHL: KWEHL-loh. Soft qu. Quella is KWEHL-lah.

"That" in Italian: quick reference

ItalianEnglish
quello / quellathat

Farther from the speaker.

quelli / quellethose

Plural.

quello lìthat one there

Pointing.

di quelloof that / about that

Topics.

How to use quello/a in real life

  1. 1Pointing at a jacket

    Prendo quello blu, non questo.

    I'll take that blue one, not this.

    Quello.

  2. 2Street view

    Quella casa gialla è di mia zia.

    That yellow house is my aunt's.

    Quella.

  3. 3Shop shelves

    Quelle scarpe sono in saldo.

    Those shoes there are on sale.

    Quelle.

Mistakes English speakers make with quello/a

Incorrect: Quello casa è grande.

Correct: Quella casa è grande.

Match gender: quella casa.

Incorrect: Voglio that libro.

Correct: Voglio quel libro. / Voglio quello.

Use quello / quel, not English that.

Good to know

Questo is near; quello is farther. Italians often add lì or là while pointing: quello lì.

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Choosing fruit at the market

  1. ChatPal

    Vuoi queste mele o quelle?

    Do you want these apples or those?

  2. You

    Quelle rosse lì, grazie.

    Those red ones there, thanks.

  3. ChatPal

    Ok. E quello cesto piccolo?

    Ok. And that small basket?

  4. You

    Anche quello.

    That one too.

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"That" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "That" in Italian

Masculine / feminine?

Quello / quella.

Plural?

Quelli / quelle.

That one there?

Quello lì.

Questo vs quello?

Questo = this (near); quello = that (farther).

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