What is the use of "ciò" in the sentence? In translation over dictionary it means "that" or "it", but as a conjunction, pronoun, or demonstrative? Since I've seen some other words as conjunction and demonstrative in Italian, then I guess it must be pronoun, but with which usage?
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2 Answers
It is a masculine pronoun, only singular, and it indicates or replaces the noun of a thing, generally referred as a verb or a phrase, it can be both subject and complement.
It has neutral value and it is mostly used with the relative che : chiedimi ciò che vuoi. In the past it could refer to plural nouns and people names used in conjunction to the verb essere (v. cioè). With meaning and particular usages: a ciò, a questo fine, a tal fine; a ciò che (v. acciocché); da ciò, appropriate, suitable to the thing or to the aim you're talking about: Ma non eran da ciò le proprie penne (Dante); and in conjunctive expressions: per ciò (v. perciò), per ciò che (v. perciocché); or adversative: con tutto ciò, ciò nonostante, ciò nondimeno. (Treccani)
It can be used as questa cosa (this thing), quella cosa (that thing):
Tutto ciò è vero: that's all true.
Parlammo a lungo di ciò che gli era accaduto: we talked a lot about what happened to him.
Hai fatto ciò che ho detto?: have you done what I told you?
answered Oct 31, 2016 at 10:03
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Is "Tutto questo/quello è vero" wrong? I can not perceive the difference between "quello" and "ciò". Aug 28, 2019 at 15:55
Just adding some tips about usage of ciò: in most of the cases you can replace ciò by quello, specially in spoken Italian:
A says something, B responds: Ciò è vero. Però devi tenere presente che.... (That's true. However you should also take into account...).
Non sono d'accordo con ciò/quello che hai appena detto I don't agree with what you just said
Tutto ciò/quello che... All that...
Tutto ciò/quello che so è che.... All I know is that...
