What is con in Italian?
The Italian word con is extremely common, and I am sure you have heard it countless times if you’re studying Italian or even if you just hang out with Italian people!
Ieri sera sono andata a cena con Mariangela.
Last night I went out for dinner with Mariangela.
Con che macchina siete andati?
What car did you go with?
Con is a preposition, which means it is used to clarify the relationship between different parts of a sentence.
Con can often be translated as with and in this lesson, we will learn how to use it correctly in different contexts.
How to use con as company and connection?
The Italian preposition con can be used with different functions. One of the main ones is to talk about the company (being with someone) or connection and relationship (having something to do with someone).
In this case, the preposition is usually translated as with.
Siamo andati al cinema con Gianluca.
We went to the cinema with Gianluca.
Ho un appuntamento con l’avvocato.
I have an appointment with the lawyer.
Luigi si è sposato con una ragazza colombiana.
Luigi got married to a Colombian girl.
How to use con as means and mode?
Another way you can use con is to talk about the means by which you do something or how you do it.
Have a look at the examples below!
- Means
Ho fatto un succo di more con il frullatore.
I made blackberry juice with the blender.
L’abbiamo tagliato con il coltello.
We cut it with a knife.
- Mode
Ha lavorato con impegno.
He worked with commitment.
L’ho fatto con piacere.
I did it with pleasure.
How to use con as reason, cause and with time?
Sometimes, the preposition con can be used to describe the reason why something is happening or its cause.
Let’s see some examples of this:
Con questa pioggia sarà impossibile arrivare.
With this rain it will be impossible to get there.
Con il suo aiuto siamo riusciti a finire il progetto in tempo.
With his help, we managed to finish the project on time.
Con can also be used to express time, such as:
Con la primavera sono arrivate le rondini.
The swallows arrived with the spring.
Con i primi freddi le strade si sono congelate.
With the first cold, the streets froze.
