Question 1

Why do we use quale here instead of quali?

Accepted Answer

Quale (which) changes its ending based on whether the noun following it is singular or plural. Since strategia (strategy) is singular, we use quale. If you wanted to ask "which strategies", you would use the plural: quali strategie.

Question 2

Can I say che strategia instead of quale strategia?

Accepted Answer

Yes! In everyday spoken Italian, it is very common to use che (what) instead of quale (which) before a noun. Quale strategia sounds slightly more specific, as if you are asking the person to pick from a known list of strategies, but che strategia is perfectly fine and means practically the same thing.

Question 3

Why is the verb usa used here if the sentence means "do you use"?

Accepted Answer

While usa literally means "he or she uses", it is also the formal "you" form. You can tell this is a formal situation because it starts with Scusi (the polite version of "excuse me"). When addressing someone formally in Italian, you always use the third-person singular form of the verb.

Question 4

I originally learned that "excuse me" is scusa. Why is it scusi in this sentence?

Accepted Answer

Scusa is the informal way to get someone's attention, used with friends, family, or peers. Because the speaker here is addressing someone respectfully (like a stranger or a professional competitor), they use the formal command form, Scusi.

Question 5

Why is it l'avversario and not il avversario?

Accepted Answer

The noun avversario (opponent) is masculine and starts with a vowel. Normally, masculine nouns starting with a vowel take the article lo. However, when lo is right next to a word starting with a vowel, we drop the "o" and add an apostrophe to make it easier to say, giving us l'avversario.

Scusi, quale strategia usa con l'avversario?

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