con el
/kon el/from spelling rules
The English phrase "with the" is translated into Spanish as con el.
You can also express "with the" formally by using con el/la followed by a proper name when referring to someone with a title or position.
Which one should you use?
Use con el only for masculine singular nouns, whereas con la is used for feminine singular nouns.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase must change to con la if the noun it precedes is feminine. The phrase must change to con los if the noun it precedes is masculine and plural. The phrase must change to con las if the noun it precedes is feminine and plural.
Did you know?
- In Spanish, the combination of con and el is never contracted into a single word, unlike a and el which must merge into al.
- The word con is a direct descendant of the Latin cum, which is why English still uses 'con-' as a prefix in words like 'convene' or 'connection'.
- Although el looks almost identical to the Arabic definite article al-, they are not related. The Spanish word comes from the Latin 'ille', meaning 'that one'.
Examples in context
- Huyó con el dinero.He ran away with the money.This sentence is useful for seeing how to say someone ran away with the money using con el.Tatoeba #3717620 by Seael, translation #1174737 by CK
- Tom jugó con el bebé.Tom played with the baby.This sentence is useful for seeing how to say someone played with the baby using con el.Tatoeba #1174934 by marcelostockle, translation #1164322 by CK
- Hablo con el director.I'm speaking with the principal.This sentence is useful for seeing how to say someone is speaking with the principal using con el.Tatoeba #619668 by Shishir, translation #4353131 by mervert1
- Estoy hablando con el gerente.I am speaking with the manager.
- El cliente quiere hablar con la dueña.The client wants to speak with the owner.
- Hablaré con el señor Gómez mañana.I will speak with Mr. Gómez tomorrow.
- La doctora García desea reunirse con el presidente.Dr. García wants to meet with the president.
- Prefiero hablar con la directora del departamento.I prefer to speak with the department director.
- Voy a la tienda con el libro.I am going to the store with the book.
- Espero hablar con el director para discutir el proyecto.I hope to speak with the director to discuss the project.
- 324 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
María and Javier are talking about a cooking recipe.
- MaríaMezcla la harina con el azúcar.Mix the flour with the sugar.
- JavierLo haré ahora mismo, María.I will do it right now, María.
- María¿Tienes el bowl con el batidor?Do you have the bowl with the whisk?
- JavierSí, está aquí sobre la mesa.Yes, it is here on the table.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries con, el, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
