Italian demonstrative adjectives

Demonstrative adjectives are used to indicate the position in space or time of people or objects with respect to the speaker and the listener. The Italian demonstrative adjectives are: questo which corresponds to the English adjective this and quello which corresponds to the English adjective that.

Questo is used to indicate something or someone that is near in space and time to the person who speaks. Quello is used to indicate a person or a thing that is far from the speaker and the listener. 

• Questo libro è interessante. = This book is interesting

• Quello studente è bravo. = That student is good

Italian demonstrative adjectives must agree in gender and number with the noun they refer to.

Here are the different forms of the demonstrative adjective questo.

Examples:

• Questo pomeriggio vado al supermercato = This afternoon I am going to the supermarket

• Posso assaggiare questi biscotti? Sembrano molto buoni. = Can I try these biscuits? They look very good

• Questa penna è rossa. Me ne serve una nera. = This pen is red. I need a black one

• Quanto costano queste scarpe? = How much are these shoes?

The Italian demonstrative adjective quello follows the same rules of definite articles.

Here is how you can use the adjective quello with different nouns.

Let's see now the different forms of feminine adjective quella:

Examples:

• Voglio vedere quel film. = I want to see that movie

• Chi sono quei ragazzi? Non li ho mai visti prima. = Who are those guys? I have never seen them before

• Quegli studenti sono davvero bravi. = Those students are really good

• Voglio comprare quell'ombrello. = I want to buy that umbrella

• Mi puoi imprestare quella gonna? = Can you lend me that skirt?

• Quelle persone vengono dagli Stati Uniti. = Those people come from the United States