Stressed Pronouns After Prepositions and for Emphasis

In brief

Italian uses stressed pronouns when a person is mentioned after a preposition or singled out for emphasis. After con (with), per (for), or a (to), say me, te, lui, lei, noi, voi, or loro. These forms can stand on their own and receive emphasis in speech.

Form

Preposition + stressed pronoun: con me, per te, a lui. To highlight a contrast: a me … a lui …

Usage

• Use a stressed pronoun after a preposition: Vieni con me? (Are you coming with me?).
• Use a me or a te to emphasize whose preference or opinion you mean; without emphasis, Mi piace il tè is enough.
• Use lui and lei when you mean him and her after a preposition.

Examples

• Vieni con me? — Are you coming with me?
• Questo regalo è per lui. — This gift is for him.
• Penso spesso a te. — I often think about you.
• A me piace il tè, a lui il caffè. — I like tea, and he likes coffee.

Common mistake

❌ Vieni con mi?

✅ Vieni con me?

After a preposition such as con, use the stressed pronoun me, not the short form mi.

Remember

After a preposition, choose me or te rather than mi or ti.