qualche

Italian

Etymology

From qual +‎ che.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkwal.ke/^°, (traditional) /ˈkwal.ke/^*

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -alke
• Hyphenation: quàl‧che
• Traditionally, this word triggers syntactic gemination of the following consonant despite not ending in a stressed vowel, but this no longer applies in modern usage. Hence qualche volta (“sometimes”) is traditionally pronounced /ˈkwalke‿vˈvɔlta/ but in modern usage is /ˈkwalke ˈvɔlta/.

Determiner

qualche (singular only, invariable)

1. (a) few

   Ho qualche amico. ― I have a few friends.

2. some, any

Usage notes

• Qualche always precedes the noun and is invariant for gender and number. The noun is always singular, even though the sense is usually plural:

  Posso fare qualche domanda? ― Can I ask you some questions?

Adverb

qualche

1. (archaic or regional) some, about

   Synonym: circa

   • 1957, Indro Montanelli, “Capitolo primo: Ab urbe condita”, in Storia di Roma [History of Rome], 46th edition, Milan, published 1973, page 12:

     Ascanio fondò Alba Longa, facendone la nuova capitale. E dopo otto generazioni, cioè a dire qualche duecento anni dopo l'arrivo di Enea, due suoi discendenti, Numitore e Amulio, erano ancora sul trono del Lazio.

     Ascanius founded Alba Longa, making it the new capital. And after eight generations, that is, some two hundred years after Aeneas' arrival, two descendants of his – Numitor and Amulius – were still sitting on the throne of Latium.