Question 1

Why do we use della quale here instead of just che?

Accepted Answer

Che translates to "that" or "which", but it cannot be used after a preposition. Because the verb is discutere di (to discuss about), we need a relative pronoun that can follow a preposition. We use la quale (matching the feminine noun conferenza) and combine it with di to make the articulated preposition della quale.

Question 2

The English translation just says "we discussed". Where does the "about/of" come from in the Italian sentence?

Accepted Answer

In English, you usually discuss a topic directly. In Italian, the verb is discutere di (literally, "to discuss of" or "to discuss about"). Because the sentence literally translates to "the conference about which we discussed", that mandatory di merges with la quale to form della quale.

Question 3

Could I use di cui instead of della quale here?

Accepted Answer

Yes, absolutely! di cui means the exact same thing in this context. In fact, di cui is much more common in everyday spoken Italian. della quale sounds a bit more formal or written, but it is very useful because its gender and number make it absolutely clear what noun you are referring to.

Question 4

How do I know whether to use il quale, la quale, i quali, or le quali?

Accepted Answer

The relative pronoun always has to match the gender and number of the noun it refers back to. Here, it refers to la conferenza, which is a feminine singular noun. Therefore, you must use the feminine singular form, la quale.

Questa è la conferenza della quale abbiamo discusso.

Breakdown of Questa è la conferenza della quale abbiamo discusso.

Questions & Answers about Questa è la conferenza della quale abbiamo discusso.

Learn Questa è la conferenza della quale abbiamo discusso and more in Italian