quale
/ˈkwa.le/
In Italian, the phrase for "which" is quale.
quale is used to ask "which" or "what" when choosing from a set of items or when asking for specific information like a name. It can function as a determiner or a pronoun.
Meaning: (interrogative) what, of those mentioned or implied (det)
Which one should you use?
While English uses "which" for selection and "what" for general information, the Italian quale can serve both purposes. It is the standard way to ask "what" in many contexts, such as asking for someone's name.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
quale agrees in gender and number with the noun it refers to. The plural form of quale is quali when referring to multiple items.
Did you know?
- The word quale is the root of the English word 'quality'. Both come from a Latin term meaning 'of what kind'.
- In archaic or highly poetic Italian, quale was sometimes used as a comparison to mean 'like' or 'as', rather than as a question.
- In many Italian dialects, the word quale is often replaced by che or che cosa even when asking for a specific choice, whereas standard Italian maintains the distinction.
Examples in context
- Quale fiore è blu?Which flower is blue?This sentence shows how to use quale to identify a specific flower.Tatoeba #11223558 by Guybrush88, translation #5318011 by Adelpa
- Quale cane è nero?Which dog is black?This sentence demonstrates using quale to identify a specific dog.Tatoeba #11289669 by Guybrush88, translation #5316882 by Adelpa
- Quale pesa di più?Which one weighs more?This sentence shows how quale acts as a pronoun to ask which one weighs more.Tatoeba #12253637 by Guybrush88, translation #12247503 by CK
- Quale vino preferisci?Which wine do you prefer?
- Quale libro stai leggendo?Which book are you reading?
- Quale festa preferisci, Natale o Capodanno?Which holiday do you prefer, Christmas or New Year?
- Quale hotel consigli per una vacanza in Italia?Which hotel do you recommend for a vacation in Italy?
- Quale gelato vuoi?Which ice cream do you want?
- Quale pizza preferisci, margherita o prosciutto?Which pizza do you prefer, margherita or ham?
- Quale colore ti piace di più, blu o rosso?Which color do you like more, blue or red?
- 890 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Martina and Lorenzo are choosing a restaurant for dinner.
- MartinaQuale ristorante scegliamo stasera?Which restaurant are we choosing tonight?
- LorenzoPreferisco quello in centro.I prefer the one in the center.
- MartinaQuale di quelli che abbiamo visto?Which one of those we saw?
- LorenzoQuello vicino alla piazza.The one near the square.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “which” translations and entries quale, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries quale, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
