Italian Phrase
Chi parla?
Meaning
‘Chi parla?’ literally means ‘Who speaks?’ It is the standard way to ask who is currently talking, especially on the phone or in a group where the speaker is not visible.
When to use
Use this phrase when you answer a phone call, join a video conference, or hear a voice you don’t recognize. It works in both informal and semi‑formal settings, but in very formal contexts you might add a title (e.g., ‘Chi parla, dottor Rossi?’).
✦Grammar Breakdown
Chiparla
Chi (interrogative pronoun)
‘Chi’ means ‘who’ and is used to ask about a person. It does not change for gender or number.
Parla (present tense)
‘Parla’ is the third‑person singular present of the verb ‘parlare’ (to speak). The subject pronoun is omitted because Italian often drops it.
Verb‑subject inversion not required
In Italian questions the word order can stay the same as in statements; the rising intonation signals a question.
🗨In Conversation
Chi parla?
Who is speaking?
Sono io, Marco.
It’s me, Marco.
✕Common Mistakes
Chi è parlando?
‘Essere’ is not used to form the progressive; use ‘sta parlando’ instead of ‘è parlando’. The correct question is ‘Chi sta parlando?’
Chi parla.
Learners sometimes forget the rising intonation, making it sound like a statement. Raise your pitch at the end to signal a question.
Chi parla tu?
The subject pronoun ‘tu’ is unnecessary and sounds awkward. Italian drops the pronoun: just ‘Chi parla?’
↔Alternatives
Chi è?
Who is it?
Chi sta parlando?
Who is talking?
Chi parla adesso?
Who is speaking now?
Cultural Tip
When answering a phone in Italy many people simply say ‘Pronto?’ instead of ‘Chi parla?’. However, ‘Chi parla?’ is still perfectly correct and is more common in business calls or when you need to identify the speaker. Remember to raise your intonation at the end of the question, just like in English.