Italian Reported Questions: Using 'ha chiesto se' and 'ha chiesto dove'
Learn to report yes/no questions with se and wh-questions with words like dove, quando and perché in elementary Italian.
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
In Italian, when you tell someone what another person asked, you usually do not repeat the exact question. Instead, you use a reporting verb such as chiedere (to ask) followed by se for a yes/no question, or by a question word such as dove, quando, come, perché or chi. This lesson focuses on two very common patterns: ha chiesto se... (he/she asked if...) and ha chiesto dove... (he/she asked where...). You will also see how these differ from reported statements, which use che instead of se.
By the end, you can…
- report a yes/no question using ha chiesto se...
- report a wh-question using ha chiesto dove, quando, come, perché or chi
- distinguish reported questions from reported statements
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Ha chiesto se ero pronto.
He/She asked if I was ready.
ah KYEH-stoh seh EH-roh PROHN-toh
se introduces a yes/no question; ero is the imperfect form of essere, used here because the asking happened in the past.
Ha chiesto dove abitavo.
He/She asked where I lived.
ah KYEH-stoh DOH-veh ah-bee-TAH-voh
dove introduces a question about place; abitavo is the imperfect form of abitare.
Mi ha chiesto se avevo fame.
He/She asked me if I was hungry.
mee ah KYEH-stoh seh ah-VEH-voh FAH-meh
mi means 'to me'; the pronoun comes before the verb phrase ha chiesto.
Ha chiesto quando partivamo.
He/She asked when we were leaving.
ah KYEH-stoh KWAHN-doh par-tee-VAH-moh
quando introduces a question about time; partivamo is the imperfect form of partire.
Ha chiesto perché non ero venuto.
He/She asked why I had not come.
ah KYEH-stoh per-KEH non EH-roh veh-NOO-toh
perché means both 'why' and 'because'; in a reported question it means 'why'.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The basic pattern is: subject + ha chiesto + se / question word + past tense. For a yes/no question, use se: Ha chiesto se parlavo italiano. ('He asked if I spoke Italian.') For a wh-question, use the question word: Ha chiesto dove andavo. ('He asked where I was going.') Note that Italian does not use a word like 'whether' separately; se covers both 'if' and 'whether'. Also, the reported verb often goes into the imperfect (parlavo, andavo, ero) because the original question was in the present or future at the moment of asking.
When to use it
Use ha chiesto se when the original question could be answered yes or no: 'Are you ready?' becomes Ha chiesto se ero pronto. Use ha chiesto + question word when the original question asked for specific information: 'Where do you live?' becomes Ha chiesto dove abitavo. Do not use che for questions. Che introduces reported statements, as in Ha detto che era pronto ('He said that he was ready'). If you use che with a question, the meaning changes or becomes incorrect. For example, Ha chiesto che ero pronto is not standard; say Ha chiesto se ero pronto.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Ieri Marco mi ha chiesto se ero libero sabato.
Yesterday Marco asked me if I was free on Saturday.ee-EH-ree MAR-koh mee ah KYEH-stoh seh EH-roh LEE-beh-roh SAH-bah-tohE tu cosa hai risposto?
And what did you answer?eh too KOH-zah eye ree-SPOH-stohHo detto di sì, ma poi mi ha chiesto dove andavamo.
I said yes, but then he asked me where we were going.oh DEHT-toh dee see, mah poy mee ah KYEH-stoh DOH-veh ahn-dah-VAH-mohE tu gli hai detto che andavamo al cinema?
And did you tell him that we were going to the cinema?eh too lyee eye DEHT-toh keh ahn-dah-VAH-moh ahl CHEE-neh-mahA little context goes a long way
In everyday Italian, chiedere is the standard verb for 'to ask.' In more formal or written contexts, you may see domandare, which is also correct but less common in casual speech. The choice between se and a question word is obligatory; Italian does not allow omitting se in yes/no reported questions. Regional pronunciation varies, but the grammar pattern is the same across Italy.
One thing to watch for
Using che instead of se in a reported yes/no question: Ha chiesto che ero pronto.
Try this instead: Use se for yes/no questions: Ha chiesto se ero pronto. Use che only for reported statements, as in Ha detto che ero pronto.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1Report this question: 'Sei stanco?' (He asked...)
Show a sample answer
Ha chiesto se ero stanco.
The original question is yes/no, so se is required. The imperfect ero is common because the asking happened in the past. Ha chiesto se sono stanco is also possible in some contexts, but ero is the usual choice.
2Report this question: 'Dove vai?' (She asked...)
Show a sample answer
Ha chiesto dove andavo.
The original question asks for information about place, so dove is used. Andavo is the imperfect form of andare. Ha chiesto dove vado is also grammatical but less natural in a past narrative.
3Choose the correct word: Ha chiesto ___ partivamo. (se / quando)
Show a sample answer
quando
The original question was about time ('When were we leaving?'), so quando is correct. Se would make it a yes/no question, which does not fit the meaning.
Use se for yes/no reported questions and a question word like dove, quando or perché for wh-questions. Keep che for reported statements.
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