Italian Phrase
Con chi giochi?
Meaning
Literally ‘With who do you play?’, the phrase is used to ask someone which person they are playing with, whether it’s a board game, a sport, or a video game.
When to use
Use this informal question with friends, family, or children when you want to know the playing partner. In a formal setting you would switch to the polite form ‘Con chi sta giocando?’
✦Grammar Breakdown
Conchigiochi?
Con (preposition)
‘Con’ means ‘with’ and is used before the person or thing you are accompanied by.
Chi (interrogative pronoun)
‘Chi’ means ‘who’ and is used to ask about a person.
Giochi (verb)
‘Giochi’ is the second‑person singular present indicative of ‘giocare’ (to play). The subject ‘tu’ is implied.
Question word order
In Italian, a simple yes/no or wh‑question can be formed by placing the interrogative word at the beginning, followed by the verb.
🗨In Conversation
Con chi giochi?
Who are you playing with?
Gioco con Marco.
I’m playing with Marco.
✕Common Mistakes
Con che giochi?
‘Che’ means ‘what/which’, not ‘who’. Use ‘chi’ for people.
Con chi gioca?
‘Gioca’ is third‑person singular; it asks about ‘he/she/it’ instead of ‘you’. Use ‘giochi’ for ‘you’.
Con chi giochi tu?
Adding the subject pronoun ‘tu’ is grammatically correct but sounds redundant in casual speech.
↔Alternatives
Con chi stai giocando?
Who are you playing with? (present progressive)
Con chi ti diverti?
Who are you having fun with?
Chi è il tuo compagno di gioco?
Who is your playing partner?
Cultural Tip
Italian children often ask ‘Con chi giochi?’ during recess or at home to join a game. In sports, coaches might ask the same question to organize teams. Remember to keep the tone informal; using the polite ‘Lei’ form (Con chi sta giocando?) is reserved for strangers, elders, or professional contexts.