qualquer coisa
/ˌkwawˈkɛ(ʁ) ˈkoj.zɐ/word by wordfeminine
The English word 'anything' is translated to Portuguese as qualquer coisa.
Qualquer coisa is used to mean 'any thing of any kind'. It can also function as a noun meaning 'someone or something'.
Meaning: any thing of any kind (pron)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of qualquer (any/whichever) and coisa (thing).
Which one should you use?
While qualquer coisa means 'anything' (indefinite/any), alguma coisa means 'something' (specific/some).
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
Although it is often used as an indefinite pronoun, qualquer coisa is grammatically feminine.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌkwawˈkɛ(ʁ) ˈkoj.zɐ/. The word has 4 syllables and the stress is on the 2nd syllable.
Did you know?
- While qualquer coisa literally means 'anything', using it to describe a person's quality can be an insult. Calling someone uma pessoa qualquer suggests they are mediocre or insignificant.
- In casual Brazilian Portuguese, qualquer coisa is frequently used as a shorthand way to say 'if anything happens' or 'just in case'. It acts as a safety net phrase during planning.
- The word qualquer actually originates from a phrase meaning 'which one wants'. This suggests that 'anything' is conceptually linked to the idea of personal choice or desire.
Examples in context
- Eu como qualquer coisa.I eat anything.This sentence shows how to use qualquer coisa with the verb 'to eat'.Tatoeba #5968296 by Ricardo14, translation #5852306 by CK
- Tom come qualquer coisa.Tom eats anything.This sentence shows how to use qualquer coisa when talking about someone else eating.Tatoeba #5558218 by bill, translation #2236244 by CK
- Posso comer qualquer coisa.I can eat anything.Tatoeba #1782885 by alexmarcelo, translation #1782754 by Amastan
- Boa tardeGood afternoon
- Com licençaExcuse me (getting someone's attention)
- DesculpeSorry
- Poderia repetir, por favor?Could you repeat, please?
- Como está?How are you?
- OiHi
- E aí?What's up?
- ValeuThanks
- Por nadaYou're welcome
- EntendiI understood
- Não entendi nadaI didn't understand anything
- Que legal!How cool!
- 149 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Camila and Gabriel are deciding what to watch on TV.
- CamilaVocê quer assistir qualquer coisa?Do you want to watch anything?
- GabrielSim, eu topo qualquer coisa.Yes, I'm up for anything.
- CamilaPodemos ver um filme de ação.We can watch an action movie.
- GabrielTudo bem por mim, Gabriel concorda.That's fine with me, Gabriel agrees.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “anything” translations and entries qualquer coisa, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (qualquer, coisa) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries coisa, qualquer, qualquer coisa, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
