Basic Italian: A Grammar and Workbook

• Remember to combine the definite article with the preposition (see Unit 8,
  paragraph 2) when using the variable forms.

5 When a relative pronoun is preceded by in or a, and these denote place, it
is often replaced, in contemporary Italian, by the adverb dove. Da dove or di
dove can be used when the relative pronoun is preceded by the preposition
da:

6 The relative pronouns (both variable and invariable) can be used in con-
junction with the demonstrative pronouns colui and quello.
Colui can only refer to people. It has three forms: colui [ms], colei [fs],
coloro [mp and fp]; these combine with che/cui or il quale/la quale/i quali/le
quali as follows:

Quello has four forms: quello [ms], quella [fs], quelli [mp], quelle [fp];
these only combine with che/cui, and can refer to both objects and
people:

The use of quello che etc. to refer to a person is rather informal, unlike colui
che/colui il quale etc. which are quite formal.

Questa è l’amica della* quale ti ho

parlato.

L’insegnante al* quale ho parlato è

stato molto gentile.

This is the friend I told you about.

The teacher I spoke to was very kind.

Milano è la città dove [for in cui]

vive Walter.

Questo è il negozio dove [for in cui]

lavora Pia.

La stazione dove [for a cui] deve

andare non è lontana da qui.

La scuola da dove/di dove [for da

cui] viene Enrico è molto buona.

Milan is the city where Walter lives.

This is the shop where Pia works.

The station he’s got to go to isn’t far

from here.

The school Enrico went to [lit. comes

from] is very good.

colui che or colui il quale

colei che or colei la quale

coloro che or coloro i quali/coloro le quali

he who

she who

those who

quello che

quella che

quelli che

quelle che

that which, he who, the one which/who

that which, she who, the one which/who

those which, those who, the ones which/who

those which, those who, the ones which/who