Ordering gelato, asking for the bathroom, finding your train—questions are survival skills in Italy! In this A1-friendly guide, you’ll learn the most common Italian question words and simple ways to ask yes/no questions. We’ll practice with bite-sized exercises and real-life phrases you can use today.

Yes/No questions the easy way

In Italian, you can often form a yes/no question just by using normal word order and rising intonation at the end.

• Tu sei di qui? (Are you from here?)
• Parli inglese? (Do you speak English?)
• Hai una penna? (Do you have a pen?)

Tip: In speech and writing, Dove è often contracts to Dov’è.

Choosing the right question word

Here are the most common Italian question words and when to use them:

• Chi = who (person)
• Che/Cosa/Che cosa = what (thing)
• Dove = where (place)
• Quando = when (time)
• Perché = why (reason)
• Quale/Quali = which (choice from known options)
• Quanto/Quanta/Quanti/Quante = how much/many (quantity)

All of these can start a question. Keep your sentences short and clear at A1 level.

ti chiami?

Great! Use this to start friendly conversations: Come ti chiami? Mi chiamo…

costa il panino?

Quick practice: match meaning to question word

Choose the best question word for each situation.

Building simple information questions

At A1, keep the pattern: question word + verb + rest of the sentence.

• Dove lavori? (Where do you work?)
• Quando parte il treno? (When does the train leave?)
• Perché studi italiano? (Why do you study Italian?)
• Quale autobus prendi? (Which bus do you take?)
• Quanti anni hai? (How old are you? literally: How many years do you have?)

Che è il tuo nome? → Come ti chiami? In Italian, we usually ask someone’s name with *Come ti chiami?* (informal) or *Come si chiama?* (formal). Dove il bagno? → Dov’è il bagno? You need the verb *essere* (to be): *Dove è → Dov’è*.

Little helper: essere in the present

Many questions use the verb essere (to be). Here are the forms you’ll see a lot in questions and answers:

Quale vs. quanto: quick guide

• Use quale/quali when choosing from known options.
  • Quale pizza prendi? (Which pizza are you having?)
• Use quanto/… for quantity or price.
  • Quanta acqua vuoi? (How much water do you want?)
  • Quanti amici hai? (How many friends do you have?)
  • Quanto costa? (How much does it cost?)

Be polite: formal vs. informal questions

• Informal (to friends, peers): Scusa…, Come ti chiami?, Parli inglese?
• Formal (to strangers, older people, or in service contexts): Scusi…, Come si chiama?, Parla inglese?

Add softeners like per favore (please) and mi scusi (excuse me) to sound polite.

Try the same in informal style: Scusa, sai dov’è la stazione?

Mini drill: choose the right word order

Put the words in a natural Italian question. Keep it short.

Wrap-up: your A1 question toolkit

• Yes/No: statement + rising intonation → Hai fame?
• Chi / Che (cosa) / Dove / Quando / Perché / Quale / Quanto → core question words
• Polite forms: Scusi…, per favore, Mi scusi
• Common patterns: Dov’è…?, Quanto costa?, Come ti chiami?, Quanti anni hai?

Practice a little every day: ask yourself simple questions in Italian about your routine—Dove vado? Quando ceno?—and you’ll build confidence fast. Buono studio!