Asking Simple Questions

Asking questions is one of the first skills you need in any language. Italian questions are simpler to form than English ones — there is no need for auxiliary verbs like "do" or "does". You can often turn a statement into a question simply by changing your intonation.

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Three Ways to Ask Questions

1. Intonation Questions (Yes/No)

The simplest way to ask a yes/no question is to take a statement and raise your intonation at the end. The word order stays exactly the same.

Statement	Question
Parli italiano.	Parli italiano?
Sei studente.	Sei studente?
Avete fame.	Avete fame?
Questo è il treno per Roma.	Questo è il treno per Roma?

Tip: In written Italian, the only difference is the question mark. In spoken Italian, the rising intonation at the end signals a question. This is by far the most common way to ask yes/no questions.

2. Inverting Subject and Verb

You can also form questions by placing the subject after the verb. This is slightly more formal or emphatic.