How to say “With” in Italian
Translation and use
As simple as it is, “with” in Italian is con. It is used in the same exact way as it is used in English, therefore making its use very easy. Let’s have a look at some examples:
Vai a casa con tua sorella?
Are you going home with your sister?
Vieni con i tuoi genitori stasera?
Are you coming with your parents tonight?
Mi piace parlare con te.
I like talking with you.
Lei scrive sempre con la mano destra.
She always writes with her right hand.
Mangio un panino con il formaggio.
I’m eating a sandwich with cheese.
Sono venuta con il treno.
I came by train.
As you can see, we use the Italian con to show who or what is involved in an action, to indicate the means used to do something. Unlike English, this includes means of transport as well.
It is also used to describe how something is done and to point out possession or features, like what someone has or their characteristics.
Preposizioni Articolate “col” and “coi”
Although not commonly used, con can combine with articles to form preposizioni articolate. Unlike other prepositions, this con combines with two articles only: con + il and con + i.
- con + il: col
- con + i: coi
Both options are correct. Sometimes, it’s just easier to say the shortened versions.
Have a look at the examples below:
Preferisco mangiare col cucchiaio.
I prefer eating with the spoon.
Luigi vive ancora coi genitori.
Luigi still lives with his parents.
How to say “Without” in Italian
Translation and use
As simple as it is, “without” in Italian is senza. Just like con, it is used in the same exact way as it is used in English, therefore making its use very easy.
I want to share with you a fun linguistic fact which regards its etymology, since there are two main theories about it:
- The first one is that it comes from the Latin word absentia, which means absence. This hypothesis is commonly shared because of the similarity of the two meanings: absence and without can both be interpreted in the same way.
- The second, more likely than the first, is that it derives from the Latin word sine, also meaning “without”. The transition from sine to senza involved phonetic changes typical of the evolution of Italian language which reflects general patterns in the development of Romance languages from Latin.
Now let me show you some example on how to use senza:
È uscito senza ombrello.
He went out without an umbrella.
Non posso stare troppe ore senza mangiare.
I cannot stay too many hours without eating.
Non so cosa farei senza il suo aiuto.
I don’t know what I’d do without his help.
Non posso stare senza di lei.
I can’t live without her.
Siamo rimasti senza zucchero.
We’ve run out of sugar. (Literally: We’re left without sugar.)
“Senza che”
Of course, there are some tricky uses of this words that I want you to know. While senza on its own is easily used with nouns and verbs in the infinitive, senza che requires the subjunctive.
The Italian senza che is used to connect clauses where the subjects are different. It is possible to use present subjunctive or the imperfect subjunctive, depending on whether the action is in the present/future or the past.
For instance:
Compra la torta per il suo compleanno senza che lui se ne accorga.
Buy the cake for his birthday without him realizing.
È passata davanti a loro senza che la notassero.
She passed in front of them without them noticing her.
In the first sentence, senza che is followed by the present subjunctive is used because the action of buying is in the present, while in the second it is followed by imperfect subjunctive because the action of passing is in the past.
