How to Use Italian “Quei” (and When It’s “Quegli”) — Simple Rules + Examples

If you’ve seen quei in Italian and thought “wait… why not quegli?” you’re asking the right question. These words both translate to “those”, but Italian chooses them by sound, not by preference.

In this guide, you’ll learn the simple rule for quei, when it becomes quegli, and the patterns Italians actually use.

Table of contents

• What does “quei” mean?
• The 10-second rule: quei vs quegli
• Examples you’ll actually say
• Cheat sheet table (quel/quello → quei/quegli)
• Common mistakes
• Mini practice (with answers)

What does “quei” mean?

Quei means “those” for masculine plural nouns.

It’s part of the “that/those” family:

• quello = that (masculine singular)
• quelli = those (masculine plural)
• quella = that (feminine singular)
• quelle = those (feminine plural)

Quei is one of the masculine plural forms of quelli (just like “il / lo / l’ ” have different “the” forms).

The 10-second rule: quei vs quegli

Think of these as the plural versions of quel vs quello:

• quel (before most consonants) → quei
• quello (before s+consonant, z, gn, ps, x, y) → quegli

Rule in plain English

• Use quei before nouns that would take il (most consonants).
• Use quegli before nouns that would take lo (s+consonant, z, gn, ps, x, y).
• Before a vowel, use quegli (like gli): quegli amici.

Examples you’ll actually say

Use quei (most consonants)

• quei libri = those books
• quei ragazzi = those boys / those guys
• quei film = those movies
• quei giorni = those days

Use quegli (lo-words)

• quegli studenti = those students (lo studente)
• quegli zaini = those backpacks (lo zaino)
• quegli psicologi = those psychologists (lo psicologo)
• quegli gnocchi = those gnocchi (gli gnocchi)

Before a vowel

• quegli amici = those friends
• quegli errori = those mistakes

Cheat sheet table (quel/quello → quei/quegli)

Sound / article pattern	Singular	Plural	Example
Most consonants (like il)	quel	quei	quei libri
s+consonant, z, gn, ps, x, y (like lo)	quello	quegli	quegli studenti
Vowel (like l’ / gli)	quell’	quegli	quegli amici

Common mistakes

1) Using quei before “lo-words”

Quei studenti sounds off because studente is a “lo” pattern: lo studente → quegli studenti.

2) Overthinking “meaning” instead of sound

Quei and quegli don’t change meaning. They’re the same idea (“those”), just the right form for the sound pattern.

Mini practice (with answers)

Choose quei or quegli.

1. _____ libri → quei libri
2. _____ studenti → quegli studenti
3. _____ ragazzi → quei ragazzi
4. _____ amici → quegli amici
5. _____ zaini → quegli zaini

If you can reliably choose the right form for il/lo/gli, you can do the same for quel/quei/quegli. That’s the whole trick.