Learn Italian: Ciò che ogni commensale gradisce è una pietanza gustosa. - What every dinner guest appreciates is a tasty dish.

Ciò che ogni commensale gradisce è una pietanza gustosa.

What every dinner guest appreciates is a tasty dish.

Breakdown of Ciò che ogni commensale gradisce è una pietanza gustosa.

who, that (relative pronoun)

Questions & Answers about Ciò che ogni commensale gradisce è una pietanza gustosa.

Why does the sentence start with Ciò che instead of just Cosa for "What"?

In Italian, cosa is primarily used for questions. When "what" means "that which", you use a relative pronoun structure. This is a pseudo-cleft sentence, a structure used to emphasize a specific part of the sentence. It works by putting the topic inside a Ciò che clause, followed by the verb essere (è), and finally the focus of the sentence (una pietanza gustosa).

Could I use Quello che instead of Ciò che here?

Yes, absolutely. Quello che and Ciò che mean exactly the same thing in this context. Ciò che is slightly more formal and elegant, which fits nicely with refined vocabulary like commensale and pietanza, while quello che is more common in everyday spoken Italian.

What exactly is a commensale? Can I just use ospite?

Ospite means "guest" in a general sense. Commensale is much more specific: it refers to a person sharing a meal with others at the same table (from con- meaning "with" and mensa meaning "table"). It translates best as "dinner guest" or "table companion."

I see gradisce comes from the verb gradire. Why does it have the -isc- insert?