Learn Italian: Non guadagno quello che voglio.

Non guadagno quello che voglio.

I do not earn what I want.

Breakdown of Non guadagno quello che voglio.

who, that (relative pronoun)

Questions & Answers about Non guadagno quello che voglio.

Why does this sentence use quello che for "what" instead of chi?

In this lesson you are learning about chi, which means "whoever" or "the person who". However, chi is exclusively used for people. Because earning refers to a thing like a salary, you must use quello che (literally "that which"), which means "what" for inanimate objects and concepts.

Could I use cosa instead and say Non guadagno cosa voglio?

No, that is a very common mistake! In Italian, cosa is used for asking questions, like asking someone what they want. When "what" connects two parts of a statement and means "the thing that", you must use a relative pronoun phrase like quello che.

Is it also correct to use ciò che here?

Yes, Non guadagno ciò che voglio is completely correct and means the exact same thing. Ciò che is slightly more formal or literary, while quello che is very common in everyday spoken Italian.

Does guadagno only mean "earn" in the context of money?

While guadagnare is most commonly used for earning a wage, it can also be used figuratively to mean gaining an advantage, time, or a benefit, similar to how we use "gain" or "earn" in English.