Lesson 37 of 40 · win the Sentence Joiner badge
Il libro che leggo, la persona di cui parlo — che e cui
Relative pronouns: che and cui
Two short, choppy sentences are staring at each other, begging to become one smooth, impressive sentence. You hold the glue: che and cui.
🎯 By the end you can…
- Join two sentences with che
- Use cui after a preposition
- Describe people and things with a relative clause
🎬 Listen to the scene
Tap a line to hear it, then say it back louder than Luna barks.
Who's that girl playing with Luna?
She's the friend I told you about yesterday.
Ah, the one you go to the gym with?
Exactly! She's the person who gave Luna her lead.
🔑 che — who / that / which
- Replaces subject or direct object, never changes form
- Il libro che leggo è bellissimo. (that I am reading)
- La ragazza che gioca con Luna è mia amica. (who is playing)
🧩 cui — after a preposition
| Preposition + cui | Example |
|---|---|
| di cui | la persona di cui parlo — the person I'm talking about |
| con cui | l'amico con cui gioco — the friend I play with |
| a cui | il ragazzo a cui scrivo — the boy I'm writing to |
Adam's tip: Cui never changes form and always needs a preposition before it — unlike che, which stands alone.
🤯 Wow fact
Cui never changes form, no matter what — the laziest, most reliable little word in the whole Italian language.
🗣️ Say it fast, say it silly
Il libro che leggo, l'amico con cui gioco!
Three times in a row without tripping = you win.
🧠 Puzzle time
Answer in your head first, then tap to check. 0 of 5 checked
Join the sentences with che.
Complete with the right preposition + cui.
😂 Barzelletta — Luna's joke
Chi è l'amica di cui parli sempre?
🚀 Your mission today
Describe three people or things in your life using a sentence with che or cui.
🎲 Play it with someone
Guess the object
Each student describes a hidden object using che, and the class guesses: «È l'animale che abbaia e ruba i biscotti.»
My favourite people
In pairs, describe three important people using both che and cui: «È l'amico con cui gioco a calcio, che conosco da anni.»
For teachers & grown-ups
Encourage at least one di cui and one con cui per student.
🧪 End-of-lesson quiz
Eight quick questions. Get 6 right to win the Sentence Joiner badge.
This lesson belongs to Unit 14 — Real life, real problems. Pass every quiz in the unit — and know 1925 words — to be promoted to the next level.
💪 Keep the streak going
- Quiz, Set 32 — people and relationships
- Describe three of your favourite things or people using che or cui
Word sets for this lesson
