L'amico con cui parlo è gentile.

The friend with whom I speak is kind.

Breakdown of L'amico con cui parlo è gentile.

• essere: to be
• con: with
• l'amico: the friend
• gentile: kind
• parlare: to speak
• cui: whom

Questions & Answers about L'amico con cui parlo è gentile.

What does con cui mean in this sentence, and why is it used?

Con cui translates to "with whom." In Italian, when a relative clause involves a preposition, the preposition is placed before the relative pronoun. Here, con is the preposition meaning "with," and cui serves as the relative pronoun (invariable across different prepositional meanings). Thus, l'amico con cui parlo means "the friend with whom I speak."

Why is the article written as l'amico instead of lo amico?

The article is contracted to l' because amico begins with a vowel sound. When the definite article lo (used before masculine nouns starting with certain consonant clusters or a vowel sound) precedes a vowel, it contracts to l' for smoother pronunciation. That’s why lo amico becomes l'amico.

How is the sentence structured in terms of main and relative clauses?

The sentence is composed of a main clause and a relative clause. The noun l'amico (the friend) is modified by the relative clause con cui parlo (with whom I speak), and the main clause is completed with è gentile (is kind). This structure shows how Italian commonly places the relative clause immediately after the noun it describes, similar to English.

Why is the adjective gentile placed after the subject, and what does it imply?

The adjective gentile means "kind" or "nice." In Italian, adjectives can appear either before or after the noun they modify, depending on stylistic choices and emphasis. In this sentence, gentile comes after the linking verb è, forming the predicate of the sentence. This placement emphasizes the quality of the subject after it has been fully described by the relative clause.

Can cui be replaced by il quale in this sentence?

While it is possible to replace cui with il quale, doing so would alter the formality and word order of the sentence. For example, using il quale would require restructuring to something like L'amico, con il quale parlo, è gentile. The version with cui is more succinct and common in spoken Italian, especially when paired directly with a preposition.

How do I decide which preposition to use before cui in similar constructions?

In Italian, cui is always accompanied by the preposition that best relates the relative clause to the noun. For instance, con cui means "with whom," di cui means "of whom/whose," and da cui means "from whom." The choice of preposition depends on the relationship being expressed. In our sentence, since the action is speaking with someone, con is the appropriate preposition to use before cui.