Italian Phrase
Quali mostre ci sono adesso?
Meaning
The sentence asks about the current exhibitions on display, typically in a museum, gallery, or cultural venue. It is a polite, neutral‑register way to request up‑to‑date information about what you can see right now.
When to use
Use this question when you arrive at a museum, cultural center, or art fair and want to know which exhibitions are currently open. It works equally well in casual conversation with friends or in a more formal setting with staff.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Qualimostrecisonoadesso?
Quali (interrogative adjective)
Used before plural nouns to ask 'which' or 'what' (plural). It agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies.
mostre (noun, fem. pl.)
Plural form of 'mostra' meaning 'exhibition' or 'show'.
ci sono (impersonal verb)
The construction 'ci sono' means 'there are'. 'ci' is an adverbial pronoun that replaces 'there' and the verb 'essere' is conjugated in the third person plural.
adesso (adverb)
Means 'now' or 'at the moment'. It can be replaced by 'ora' or 'in questo periodo' for a slightly different nuance.
🗨In Conversation
Quali mostre ci sono adesso?
What exhibitions are there now?
Al momento c'è la mostra di Monet e una retrospettiva di Frida Kahlo.
At the moment there is the Monet exhibition and a retrospective of Frida Kahlo.
✕Common Mistakes
Quali mostre c'è adesso?
Use the plural form 'ci sono' with a plural noun; 'c'è' is singular and would be wrong with 'mostre'.
Quali mostre ci sono ora?
While 'adesso' is correct, beginners sometimes replace it with 'ora' in a way that sounds too informal for a museum context.
Mostre ci sono adesso?
Do not omit the interrogative adjective; 'Mostre ci sono adesso?' sounds like a statement, not a question.
↔Alternatives
Che mostre ci sono adesso?
What exhibitions are there now?
Quali mostre sono aperte ora?
Which exhibitions are open now?
Cosa c'è in mostra in questo periodo?
What is on display at the moment?
Cultural Tip
Italian museums often change their program every few months, so locals will frequently ask about "mostre" using "adesso" or "in questo periodo". When speaking to museum staff, a friendly "Buongiorno" before the question is appreciated. In some regions (e.g., Veneto) you might hear "che mostre gh'è adesso?" – a dialectal variant that drops the formal "ci".