con + Means / Company
'Con' (Means, Company)
The preposition con is the Italian equivalent of 'with'. It is used to show who you are with (company) or what you use to do something (means/instrument).
How It Works
The preposition con is versatile and essential for basic Italian communication.
1. Company and Union
Use con to indicate you are doing something together with someone else.
Example: Esco con gli amici (I'm going out with friends).
2. Means and Instrument
It describes the tool or method used to complete an action. In Italian, con is the standard way to introduce a physical tool.
Example: Taglio il pane con il coltello (I cut the bread with the knife).
3. Manner and Quality
Con can describe how you do something or a physical characteristic of a person or object.
Example (Manner): Lavoro con attenzione (I work with attention/carefully).
Example (Quality): Una ragazza con i capelli biondi (A girl with blonde hair).
4. Articulated Forms (col, coi)
While di, a, da, in and su must combine with articles (like preposizioni articolate), con is optional. In modern Italian, you can keep them separate (con il, con i) or use the contracted forms col (con + il) and coi (con + i). Other forms like colla or colle are very rare and usually avoided in speech.
5. Transport Nuance
To say 'by train' generally, Italians use in treno. However, if you specify which train or use an article, you must use con.
Example: Vado con il treno delle otto (I'm going with/by the 8 o'clock train).
Examples (5)
- Vado al cinema con Giulia.
I am going to the cinema with Giulia.
Word by Word: I go to the cinema with Giulia.
Here 'con' expresses company (being with a person).
- Scrivo un'email con il computer.
I am writing an email with the computer.
Word by Word: I write an email with the computer.
Here 'con' indicates the instrument or tool used to perform the action.
- Mangio la pasta con il pomodoro.
I am eating pasta with tomato.
Word by Word: I eat the pasta with the tomato.
Here 'con' shows a union or combination of ingredients.
- Viaggio sempre con il treno delle nove.
I always travel with the nine o'clock train.
Word by Word: I travel always with the train of the nine.
When the transport is specific (the 9:00 train), we use 'con' + article.
- Vieni con me al mercato?
Are you coming with me to the market?
Word by Word: Come you with me to the market?
'Con' is used with tonic pronouns like 'me', 'te', 'lui', etc.
Common Mistakes
Using 'con' for 'on foot'.
Vado a scuola con i piedi.Vado a scuola a piedi.Even though you use your feet to walk, the idiomatic expression for 'on foot' is 'a piedi', not 'con i piedi'.
Omitting the article with 'con' for transport.
Vado con macchina.Vado in macchina. / Vado con la macchina.If you use 'con', you almost always need the definite article. If you don't want to use an article, use 'in'.
Using archaic articulated forms like 'colla'.
Scrivo colla penna.Scrivo con la penna.While 'col' and 'coi' are common, forms like 'colla', 'collo', or 'colle' sound very old-fashioned. Stick to the separate forms for these.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To use 'con' to express means or company, you first need to understand the basic category of simple prepositions. Since 'con' often precedes nouns with articles or specific verbs of movement like 'venire', familiarity with definite articles and common irregular verbs is necessary for constructing complete sentences.
- Simple Prepositions
The preposition 'con' is one of the basic simple prepositions in Italian, and understanding the general category of simple prepositions is essential before learning its specific uses.
Level 1 - Definite Articles
The preposition 'con' is frequently followed by a definite article when referring to specific means (e.g., 'con la penna'), requiring knowledge of article forms.
Level 1 - uscire / venire / direIrregular Presente: Uscire, Venire, Dire
The verb 'venire' is commonly used with 'con' to express accompaniment (e.g., 'vengo con te'), making it a practical prerequisite for using this pattern in context.
Level 1
Related Patterns
- Articulated (Contracted) Prepositions
Explains how prepositions like 'con' can combine with articles.
Level 1 - in + Means of Transport'In' with Means of Transport
The main alternative to 'con' when talking about general transportation.
Level 1 - Subject Pronouns
Useful for understanding the tonic pronouns used after 'con' (me, te, lui...).
Level 1
Words in This Pattern
Sources
Practice con + Means / Company in Bubblegum
Poppy, your AI tutor, writes Italian lessons at your level. Tap any grammar point in a lesson to see its full explanation.
