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Quel ragazzo ha un che di maleducato quando inizia a sbuffare.

Quel ragazzo ha un che di maleducato quando inizia a sbuffare.
That boy has something rude about him when he starts huffing.
From Lesson 460:Exclusive actions (non fare altro che)·Italian

Questions & Answers about Quel ragazzo ha un che di maleducato quando inizia a sbuffare.

What does un che di maleducato mean, and why is di used here?
Un che is an idiomatic phrase meaning "a certain something" or "a touch of". Just like with the word qualcosa (something), when you follow un che with an adjective, you must link them with the preposition di. The adjective that follows is always in the masculine singular form, hence maleducato.
How would I change the second half of this sentence to use the non fare altro che structure?
To emphasize that huffing is the only thing he is doing, you could say quando non fa altro che sbuffare (when he does nothing but huff). Notice that unlike inizia a, the structure non fare altro che is followed directly by the infinitive sbuffare without any connecting preposition.
Why is there an a between inizia and sbuffare?
In Italian, many verbs require a specific preposition to link them to a following infinitive verb. The verb iniziare (to begin or start) always requires the preposition a before an infinitive, which is a rule you will see constantly at this level.
What is the exact feeling conveyed by the verb sbuffare?
Sbuffare literally means to huff, puff, or blow out air. It is very commonly used in Italian to describe that specific, audible sigh or snort of annoyance, boredom, or impatience someone makes when they are frustrated.

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