Il che introduce delle frasi subordinate che possono essere oggettive o relative.

(Che introduces subordinate clauses that can be object clauses or relative clauses.)

Che: two uses you must not mix

  • Object clause (subordinata oggettiva): after a verb like dire, sapere, pensare, credere → you report what someone says/knows/thinks.
  • Relative clause (subordinata relativa): after a noun → you describe which person/thing you mean.
Type Quick test Typical English
Oggettiva Can you put “that …” after the verb? “I know that …”
Relativa Is there a noun right before che? “the diet that …”

1) Oggettiva: verb + che + sentence

Use it to introduce information after a verb (what is said, known, believed).

  • Formula: verbo + che + frase
  • Common verbs: dire, sapere, pensare, credere, sperare, vedere, sentire
Italian Meaning
Il dottore dice che la dieta è equilibrata. The doctor says that the diet is balanced.
So che perdi peso con lo sport. I know that you lose weight with exercise.

Self-check: if you remove che, the sentence usually feels “unfinished” in Italian.

So perdi peso…So che perdi peso…

2) Relativa: noun + che + verb

Use it to identify/describe a noun. Che replaces the noun inside the second clause.

  • Formula: nome + che + verbo (+ …)
  • Meaning: “the … that …” / “the … who …”
Italian Meaning
La dieta che segui è salutare. The diet that you follow is healthy.
Il pasto che mangi contiene spinaci. The meal that you eat contains spinach.

Che is invariable: no gender, no plural

  • Always che: la dieta che…, le diete che…, il pasto che…, i pasti che…
  • Don’t try to “agree” it with the noun. Italian does not do that here.

Che can be subject or object (relative clauses)

In a relative clause, che can play two roles.

Role Clue Example
Subject (the person/thing does the action) che + verb (and there is no other subject) Il collega che prepara sempre un pranzo leggero…
Object (the person/thing receives the action) After the verb you often see a subject like io/tu/lui La dieta che segui… (you follow the diet)

The key limitation: never put a preposition before che

This is a frequent mistake for English speakers.

  • Correct: Il pranzo che mangio in ufficio è leggero.
  • Wrong: Il pranzo di che mangio in ufficio…
  • Wrong: La lista per che preparo la spesa…

What to do instead? At A2, the safe strategy is:

  • If you feel you need di/a/per/con before “that/which”, you often need a different structure (later you’ll learn cui).
  • For now, choose sentences where the link needs no preposition (as in the examples).

Fast decision guide (self-study)

  1. Look left: is there a noun right before? → likely relative.
  2. If not, look at the verb: does the verb need “what/that…” information? → object clause.
  3. Check yourself in English:
    • “I know/say/think that …” → che (oggettiva)
    • “the person/thing that …” → che (relativa)

What you should pay attention to

  • Don’t add words around che: no article, no preposition.
  • Word order stays normal: che + clause.
  • Meaning comes from context: the same che can mean “that/which/who” in English.
  1. The relative 'che' is used to replace a noun and at the same time to join and relate two sentences, one main and the other subordinate.
  2. 'Che' is invariable and is used as the subject or object of the subordinate clause.
Subordinata (Subordinate clause)Formula (Structure)Esempio (Example)
Oggettiva (Object clause)Verbo + che + frase (Verb + che + clause)

Il dottore dice che la dieta è equilibrata. (The doctor says that the diet is balanced.)

So che perdi peso con lo sport. (I know that you lose weight with exercise.)

Relativa (Relative clause)Nome + che + verbo (Noun + che + verb)

La dieta che segui è salutare. (The diet that you follow is healthy.)

Il pasto che mangi contiene spinaci. (The meal that you eat contains spinach.)

Exceptions!

  1. 'Che' is never followed by prepositions.

Exercise 1: Multiple choice

Instruction: Choose the correct answer

1. La dieta ____ segui è bilanciata, ma devi idratarti di più.

The diet ____ you follow is balanced, but you need to hydrate more.

2. Il riso ____ mangi a pranzo ti dà energia per il pomeriggio.

The rice ____ you eat for lunch gives you energy for the afternoon.

3. Gli spinaci ____ compro al mercato sono freschi e costano poco.

The spinach ____ I buy at the market is fresh and costs little.

4. La frutta ____ mangi dopo lo sport è una buona abitudine.

The fruit ____ you eat after sports is a good habit.

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct sentence.

1.
Error: you don’t use an article before the relative "che".
Error: "che" cannot be preceded by a preposition ("di").
2.
Error: "che" is missing to introduce the object subordinate clause after "so".
Error: double "che" and incorrect word order.

Exercise 3: Rewrite the phrases

Instruction: Combine the two sentences into one using "che" (objective or relative subordinate).

Show/Hide translation Show/Hide hints
  1. Il dottore dice una cosa. La dieta è equilibrata.
    ⇒ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Il dottore dice che la dieta è equilibrata.
    (The doctor says that the diet is balanced.)
  2. So una cosa. Perdi peso con lo sport.
    ⇒ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    So che perdi peso facendo sport.
    (I know that you lose weight by doing sports.)
  3. Segui una dieta. La dieta è salutare.
    ⇒ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    La dieta che segui è salutare.
    (The diet you follow is healthy.)
  4. Mangi un pasto. Il pasto contiene spinaci.
    ⇒ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Example
    Il pasto che mangi contiene spinaci.
    (The meal you eat contains spinach.)

Exercise 4: Grammar in action

Instruction: Create a healthy lunch plan and explain the choices using sentences with "che".

Show/Hide translation
Situation
In ufficio, discuti con una collega della dieta che seguite ogni giorno.
(In the office, you discuss with a colleague the diet you follow every day.)

Discuss
  • Quali abitudini salutari hai che ti aiutano a perdere peso? (What healthy habits do you have that help you lose weight?)
  • Quali cibi scegli spesso che sono bilanciati e facili da portare in ufficio? Perché? (What foods do you often choose that are balanced and easy to bring to the office? Why?)

Useful words and phrases
  • La dieta che seguo è equilibrata e salutare. (The diet that I follow is balanced and healthy.)
  • I cibi che porto in ufficio: riso, zucchina, spinaci, tonno. (The foods that I bring to the office: rice, zucchini, spinach, tuna.)
  • La fragola che compro è buona, ma preferisco la mela che dura di più. (The strawberry that I buy is good, but I prefer the apple that lasts longer.)

Use in conversation
  • Il piatto che mangio spesso è… (The dish that I often eat is…)
  • L'abitudine che mi aiuta è… (The habit that helps me is…)
  • Ci sono cibi che evito perché… (There are foods that I avoid because…)

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Fabio Pirioni

Bachelor in Humanities

University of Udine

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Last Updated:

Thursday, 16/04/2026 05:58