Meaning
whom; which
- whom; which after a preposition
- to whom; to which
In a sentence
La ragazza con cui esco vive qui vicino.
The girl I go out with lives nearby.
Il libro di cui parlavi ieri è sul tavolo.
The book you were talking about yesterday is on the table.
La persona a cui hai mandato il messaggio è mia cugina.
The person you sent the message to is my cousin.
Word forms (1)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| cui |
Usage notes
- Use 'cui' for indirect objects after prepositions (a, con, di, per, etc.), not 'che'. Example: 'la persona *a cui* ho parlato' (the person *I spoke to*).
- Never use 'cui' alone as a subject; it always follows a preposition or replaces an object. Wrong: 'cui è arrivato'. Right: 'quello *a cui* ho dato il libro'.
- In formal writing, 'cui' can replace 'il quale/la quale' but is more concise. Informal speech often uses 'che' incorrectly instead.