Learn Italian: Chi è questa signora?

Chi è questa signora?

Who is this lady?

Breakdown of Chi è questa signora?

Questions & Answers about Chi è questa signora?

Does chi ever change its form depending on who we are asking about?

No, chi always stays exactly the same. It means "who" or "whom", and unlike some other Italian words, it doesn't change to match masculine, feminine, singular, or plural subjects.

Why is the ch in chi pronounced with a hard "k" sound?

In Italian, whenever you see ch followed by an i or an e, it makes a hard "k" sound. So chi sounds exactly like the English word "key".

Why does this sentence use questa instead of questo?

questa means "this" for feminine singular nouns. Because signora (lady) is feminine, the word for "this" must match it. If we were asking about a man (signore), we would use the masculine questo signore.

What is the difference between donna and signora?

While donna is the general word for "woman", signora translates to "lady" or "madam". It is a more polite and respectful way to refer to an adult woman, and is also used as the title for "Mrs."