Italian Relative Pronouns Pronomi Relativi

Italian relative pronouns—pronomi relativi—are called as such because, in addition to substituting for the noun, they connect (or relate) two clauses. The clause introduced by the pronoun is subordinate and is dependent on the main clause.  The relative pronouns in Italian  are  chi,  che,  cui, and  il quale. Read on to learn how these important pronouns are used in this Romance language. The Relative Pronoun â€Å"Chi† Chi in Italian literally means who. It is invariable, is used in the masculine and feminine singular, and refers only to a person. Examples below illustrate the use of this pronoun. For all examples, the Italian sentence is presented first in italics, while the English translation follows  in regular type. Chi  rompe,  paga.He who breaks (it), pays (for it). Chi tra voi ragazze vuole partecipare alla gara, si iscriva.Those of you girls who want to participate in the competition, sign up. In general,  chi  functions as subject and object; in fact, it corresponds to a relative pronoun preceded by a  demonstrative. Non mi  piace  chi  non  lavora seriamente. I do not like those who do not work seriously. Other Uses for Chi Chi can also mean what, as well as who, with both uses in the same sentence, as this example from  Reverso Translation  notes: Hai sempre saputo chi ero... chi sono.  You always knew who I was, what I am. Sometimes  chi  even functions as an indirect  compliment  if it is preceded by a preposition. Mi  rivolge  a chi  parla  senza  pensare.  I was referring to those who speak without thinking The relative pronouns â€Å"Che† and Cui The relative pronoun che generally means that in English, as the following examples show: È molto bello il vestito che hai acquistato.The dress that you bought is very nice. and: I medici,  che  hanno partecipato alla conferenza, erano americani.  The doctors who attended the conference were Americans. By contrast, cui, a pronoun that means which, can take the place of an indirect object, an object preceded by a preposition. Cui never changes; only the prepositions preceding it change, notes  Learn Italian Daily, a website that provides free Italian-language lessons. You can also use the relative pronoun ​cui preceded by an article to join two sentences that have an element in common, an element that expresses a form of possession. The Relative Pronoun â€Å"il Quale† The pronoun  il  quale also means which in English. It is a variable, relative pronoun that is mainly used in written language, such as official documents. Indeed, il quale, and other forms of the pronoun including  la quale, i quali, and  le quali  may replace che  or cui, as in this example: Il documento, il quale à ¨ stato firmato da voi, à ¨ stato spedito ieri.  The document, which has been signed by you, was delivered yesterday. But even though il quali is generally used formally, you can still have some fun with the pronoun, as in this example: Cadrai in un sonno profondo durante  il quale  obbedirai ai miei ordini. Youre falling into a deep sleep under  which  youll obey my every command.