How to Say "With" in Italian - WITH Many Useful Examples In Context
In today’s article, we will take a look at another very important preposition — “with.” We'll teach you how to say "with" in Italian and provide you with a lot of useful example sentences.
Prepositions are such small words you might be tempted to see them as insignificant. This is very far from true. Using a wrong preposition can lead to misunderstanding what you want to say, and nobody wants that.
For example, if you are ordering a pizza in Italy and have specific food allergies, it’s crucial to know the difference between “with” and “without.” This is only one example of how important it is to learn to use prepositions correctly in any language.
If you want to learn more useful vocabulary in Italian, take a look at our unique Italian Frequency Dictionary series. You will get 10,000 most common words together with their translation, pronunciation, and basic grammatical information. Moreover, every entry has also an Italian example sentence with its English translation.
How to Translate “With” into Italian
The most common translation in the Italian language is con. It is pronounced [kon]. Let’s take a look at some examples to show you the usage of con in context.
- Con chi e? – Who is she with?
With this question you’re trying to figure out the identity of the person in contact with someone you know. The same phrase is also used for males. Con chi sono is used when referring to more than one person.
- Con chi mi incontro? – Who am I meeting with?
If you have a person of contact in a new city, it is essential to clarify who they are and find out as much as possible about them. To clarify the location where you are meeting someone, the phrase to use is Dove li incontro, which means "where am I meeting with them."
- Uscire con degli amici – going out with friends
If someone asks you who you are going out with, which is con chi esci in Italian, this phrase is a common answer. This comes in handy if you want to let others know you won’t be working, so no business calls or messages, please.
- Lavorare con qualcuno – working with someone
If you are looking to work with someone on a project or you wish to explain a working relationship, this is the phrase to use. When asking someone to work with you, the best phrase to use is posso lavorare con te?
- Vivo con loro. – I live with them.
People like to talk about their living situation. It’s a good topic for small talk. Other common phrases include vivo con i genitori, which means "I am living with my parents."
Using “Con” to Answer "How"
- Tagliare qualcosa con un coltello – to cut something with a knife
At times, the most uncomplicated needs can be challenging to express. For instance, if you are ordering breakfast and there is a fruit like an orange, you will need to use this phrase. Alternately, if you do not want anything cut up, you say non tagliare.
- Posso pagare con una carta di credito? – Can I pay with a credit card?
This is a very important phrase to master. If you want to pay in cash, you can ask: Posso pagare in contanti? – Can I pay in cash?
- Fatelo con gentilezza. – Do it gently.
This is another example to demonstrate how to use con in Italian. It literally means “with gentleness.”
Other Words for “With”
Like in other languages, prepositions cannot be always translated in only one way.
- Un te al latte – a cup of tea with milk
If you are looking to introduce a special ingredient in a meal, “al” is the word to use. The phrase above specifies that you strictly want your tea to have milk. Pane al burro means that the butter is mixed with the dough.
- Lui ha fornito loro del cibo. – He provided them with food.
Verbs are often followed by a different preposition in different languages. In English, “to provide” is linked with “with.” However, in Italian, it’s followed by di. (Del is a contraction of di + il)
- Mi occuperò di questo. – I’ll deal with it.
Occuparsi di is translated as “to deal with.”
Luckily, many verbs that are followed by “with” in English also have “con” in Italian, such as:
- Sono d’accordo con te. – I agree with you.
Other Meanings of “Con”
Here is a list of some other possible translations of con. We have already mentioned that the English “with” is not always translated as con, and vice-versa.
- Non posso farlo con questo caldo. – I can’t do it in this heat.
- Con la pioggia – in the rain
- Sono arrabbiato con tutti. – I’m angry at everybody. (Italian adjectives are also often followed by different prepositions than in English.)
How to Translate “Without” into Italian
Knowing how to use “with” correctly is very important in any conversation. At the beginning of this article, we mentioned ordering food in Italy. If you want to get the right ingredients on your pizza, for example, you should also learn the preposition “without” in Italian.
- senza [sˈɛntsa] – without (senza aglio – without garlic)
How to Say “With” in Italian – a Summary
- Con is one of the most important Italian prepositions. It’s mostly translated as “with.” Don’t forget that it is often used to answer "how": angrily – con rabbia.
- Be careful with verbs and adjectives. They are sometimes followed by different prepositions: Sii gentile con lei. – “Be nice to her.” Or “He’s satisfied with the result.” – È contento del risultato.
- The opposite of con is senza (without).