The Indefinable "Something"
Have you ever tried to describe someone or something, but couldn't quite put your finger on what makes them so special? English uses phrases like "a certain something" or the French je ne sais quoi. In Italian, you can express this elusive quality using the phrase un che di.
| a certain something / an undefinable quality | un che di |
To use this structure, simply follow un che di with an adjective.
| This place has a special aura and a certain indescribable something. | Questo luogo ha un'aura speciale e un che di indescrivibile. |
| That actor has an elusive quality. | Quell'attore ha un che di sfuggente. |
Adjective Agreement
Because un che literally translates to "a something" and acts as a masculine singular noun phrase, the adjective that follows di must always be masculine singular.
This rule applies even if the person or thing you are describing is feminine or plural. Notice how a feminine subject like la sua musica (his music) is paired with the masculine adjectives poetico and malinconico because they modify un che rather than the subject directly.
| His music has a certain poetic and melancholic something. | La sua musica ha un che di poetico e malinconico. |
| That woman is elusive; she has a certain indescribable something. | Quella donna è sfuggente; ha un che di indescrivibile. |
Capturing Aura and Charisma
This structure is perfect for talking about people with unexplainable charm and places with a magical presence. You will often see it paired with vocabulary like aura (aura) and carisma (charisma), alongside evocative adjectives like magnetico (magnetic) and fiabesco (fairytale-like).
| That ancient castle has a magical aura, a certain fairytale-like something. | Quell'antico castello ha un'aura magica, un che di fiabesco. |
| That actor has incredible charisma, a certain magnetic something. | Quell'attore ha un carisma incredibile, un che di magnetico. |