Contigo
/kontiɡo/from spelling rules
Contigo is the Spanish phrase for 'with you'.
Which one should you use?
While contigo is used for friends or peers, con usted must be used to say 'with you' in formal or respectful contexts.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina and Uruguay, con vos is commonly used instead of contigo.
How does it change in a sentence?
Contigo is an invariable prepositional pronoun used specifically with the second person singular informal tú.
How do you pronounce it?
/kontiɡo/
Did you know?
- The word contigo is a linguistic fossil of Latin, hiding a double 'with' inside its structure from the original 'cum tecum'.
- While contigo means 'with you', the phrase estoy contigo can be used to tell someone 'I am on your side' or 'I support you' during a difficult time.
- Spanish has special 'merged' words for 'with me' (conmigo) and 'with you' (contigo), but it does not do this for 'with him' or 'with her', which remain two separate words.
Examples in context
- ¿Puedo ir contigo al cine?Can I go with you to the movies?
- Vamos pa'lante contigoLet's move forward with you
- Quiero estar contigo.I want to be with you.
- Quiero ir contigo.I want to go with you.
- Todo es mejor contigo.Everything is better with you.
- ¿Puedo hablar contigo?Can I talk with you?
Example conversation
Mateo and María are planning a walk in the park.
- MateoMaría, ¿quieres caminar conmigo?María, do you want to walk with me?
- María¡Sí, me encanta estar contigo!Yes, I love being with you!
- MateoContigo siempre es divertido.With you it is always fun.
- MaríaVamos entonces.Let's go then.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries contigo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
