Question 1

Why do we use di cui instead of just che?

Accepted Answer

Cui is the relative pronoun we use after prepositions. We need the preposition di here because the verb parlare (to talk) requires di when talking about something (parlare di). So, di cui functions as "about which".

Question 2

The English translation ends with "about". Why is the Italian preposition di in the middle of the sentence?

Accepted Answer

In English, we can leave prepositions dangling at the end of a sentence ("talking about"). In Italian, this is impossible. The preposition must always go right before the relative pronoun. You have to think of the structure as "...the interview about which the politician talks".

Question 3

Why is il politico at the very end of the sentence, after the verb parla?

Accepted Answer

In Italian relative clauses (the part of a sentence starting with words like che or cui), it is very common and natural to flip the order and put the subject after the verb. Saying di cui il politico parla is grammatically fine, but di cui parla il politico flows much better to an Italian ear.

Question 4

I thought quotidiano was an adjective meaning "daily". Why is it used as a noun here?

Accepted Answer

You are right! It is an adjective (as in il pane quotidiano, the daily bread), but it is also very commonly used as a masculine noun (il quotidiano) to mean "the daily newspaper". We do the exact same thing in English when we refer to a newspaper as "a daily".

Il quotidiano pubblica l'intervista di cui parla il politico.

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