The meaning of ciò
Ciò is a pronoun used to refer to an idea, fact, or action that was previously mentioned or understood from the context. In English, it often translates as:
- what (at the beginning of a statement)
- that which
- this / that (when referring to a situation or statement)
You’ll mainly encounter “ciò” in written or formal Italian — it tends to sound a bit unusual in everyday conversation.
Examples:
- Ciò che dici è interessante.
(What you’re saying is interesting.) - Non condivido ciò che ha fatto.
(I don’t agree with what he did.) - Nonostante ciò, ho deciso di continuare.
(Despite that, I decided to continue.)
In all these cases, “ciò” refers to something abstract or intangible — a thought, an action, a situation — rather than a physical object.
Ciò che = What / That which (formal)
One of the most common ways to use “ciò” is in the expression “ciò che”, which introduces a relative clause and means “what” or “that which”.
It helps refer to something without repeating the whole idea, especially in formal or written contexts.
Examples:
- Ciò che conta è la sincerità.
(What matters is honesty.) - Non capisco ciò che vuoi dire.
(I don’t understand what you mean.) - Ciò che mi ha colpito è la sua calma.
(What struck me was his calmness.)
Quello che = What / That which (informal)
Ciò che is fairly formal, but there’s a more common alternative: quello che, which is often used in spoken Italian.
In most cases, ciò che and quello che are interchangeable — they both mean what or that which.
The difference lies mostly in tone and register:
Quello che is more natural and common in everyday speech.
Ciò che sounds more formal or written.
Examples:
- Ciò che hai detto è vero (formal)
- Quello che hai detto è vero. (informal)
Rule of thumb
Use ciò che when writing an essay, article, or formal email.
Use quello che when speaking or writing something informal — like a chat or conversation.
Ciò vs Cioè: The difference
It’s easy to mix up ciò and cioè, but they have different meanings and uses.
- Ciò is a pronoun — it replaces an idea, action, or situation.
Example: Non capisco ciò che vuoi dire.
(I don’t understand what you mean.) - Cioè is an adverb that means “that is”, “in other words”, or “I mean”. It’s used to clarify or explain something.
Example: Studio lingue, cioè inglese e spagnolo.
(I study languages — that is, English and Spanish.)
Read more: What does cioè mean in Italian?
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