comigo/contigo/consigo

Com Pronoun Contractions

Level 2

In Portuguese, the preposition com (with) merges with certain pronouns to form single words like comigo (with me) and contigo (with you). These are mandatory and cannot be split.

How It Works

The pattern comigo/contigo/consigo represents a set of fused prepositional pronouns.

1. The Forms:

  • Comigo: With me.
  • Contigo: With you (informal tu).
  • Consigo: With himself/herself/yourself (reflexive or formal).
  • Conosco / Connosco: With us (Note: connosco is the spelling in Portugal).
  • Convosco: With you all (formal/archaic).

2. Regional Differences:
In Brazil, consigo is almost exclusively reflexive (e.g., 'Ele levou o livro consigo' - He took the book with him). For the non-reflexive 'with you', Brazilians use com você. Similarly, while conosco is used in formal writing, a gente is the standard informal way to say 'with us' in Brazil, expressed as com a gente.

In Portugal, consigo is the standard way to say 'with you' when using formal address (o senhor/a senhora).

3. Non-Fused Third Person:
When 'with him', 'with her', or 'with them' is not reflexive (referring to someone other than the subject), you do not use a fusion. Instead, use the preposition com followed by the subject pronoun: com ele, com ela, com eles, or com elas.

4. Modifiers and Fusions:
For singular forms, the fusion is always mandatory, even with modifiers: comigo mesmo (with myself). However, for plural forms (conosco/convosco), if you add a modifier like 'todos' or 'mesmos', you must revert to the analytic form: com nós todos (with all of us) instead of conosco todos.

5. Consigo vs. Conseguir:
Be careful not to confuse the pronoun consigo with the verb form consigo (I can/manage) from the verb conseguir.

Examples (6)

  1. Você quer vir comigo ao cinema?

    Do you want to come with me to the cinema?

    Word by Word: You want to-come with-me to-the cinema?

    'Comigo' is the mandatory fusion of 'com' + 'mim'.

  2. Eu gosto muito de estar contigo.

    I really like being with you.

    Word by Word: I like much of to-be with-you.

    'Contigo' is used for informal 'you' (tu). It is very common in Portugal and parts of Brazil.

  3. O João sempre traz o guarda-chuva consigo.

    João always brings the umbrella with him.

    Word by Word: The João always brings the umbrella with-himself.

    Here 'consigo' is reflexive, meaning João brings it with himself.

  4. Posso falar consigo, Sr. Silva?

    May I speak with you, Mr. Silva?

    Word by Word: Can-I to-speak with-you, Mr. Silva?

    In European Portuguese, 'consigo' is the standard formal 'with you'.

  5. Eles querem falar conosco amanhã.

    They want to speak with us tomorrow.

    Word by Word: They want to-speak with-us tomorrow.

    'Conosco' (Brazil) or 'connosco' (Portugal) is the fusion of 'com' + 'nós'.

  6. Eu vou ao parque com ele.

    I am going to the park with him.

    Word by Word: I go to-the park with him.

    Non-reflexive third-person pronouns do not fuse. Use 'com ele', 'com ela', 'com eles', or 'com elas'.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'com mim' or 'com ti' instead of the fused forms.

    Ele quer falar com mim.
    Ele quer falar comigo.

    In Portuguese, 'com' must fuse with 'mim' and 'ti'. The separate forms do not exist in standard grammar.

  • Using 'consigo' for 'with him/her' in a non-reflexive way (Brazil).

    Eu fui ao cinema consigo (meaning 'with him').
    Eu fui ao cinema com ele.

    In Brazil, 'consigo' is only for reflexive actions. If you mean 'with him' (a different person), use 'com ele'.

How It Connects

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comigo/contigo/consigoLevel 2Com Pronoun Contractions

Learn This First

To understand these fused forms, you first need to know the preposition 'com' and the personal pronouns they represent. You also need to understand the distinction between informal and formal address to correctly use 'contigo' versus 'consigo'.

Words in This Pattern

comigocontigoconsigo