cosa
/ˈkɔ.za/
The Italian word cosa means a thing or an object.
cosa is used to mean 'thing' or 'what'. In many contexts, particularly in spoken Italian, it also functions as the word for 'what', such as in the phrase Cosa dici? (What are you saying?). The phrase Che cosa? is another common way to ask 'What?' in Italian.
Which one should you use?
While cosa is a general term for a thing, the word oggetto is more specific to a physical, tangible object.
How does it change in a sentence?
cosa is a feminine noun, as seen when using the indefinite article in the phrase una cosa (a thing). The plural form of cosa is cose.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 2 syllables, and the stress is on the 1st syllable. The IPA is /ˈkɔ.za/.
Did you know?
- The phrase una cosa da is often used to describe something that is 'typical' or 'characteristic' of a person. For example, è una cosa da lui means 'that is just like him'.
- Italian has a 'doublet' system where cosa and causa exist side by side. While cosa became the everyday word for 'thing', causa kept the formal Latin meaning of 'reason' or 'cause'.
- The Italian word cosa is a linguistic relative of the English word 'cause'. Both originate from the Latin word causa, which originally referred to a legal case or a reason.
Examples in context
- Che cosa hai detto?What did you say?
- Che cosa pensi?What do you think?
- Cosa fai?What are you doing?
- Cosa mangi?What are you eating?
- Ho dimenticato una cosa importante.I forgot one important thing.
- Questa cosa è molto costosa.This thing is very expensive.
Example conversation
Giulia and Matteo are looking at a strange object on the table.
- GiuliaMatteo, cos'è questa cosa?Matteo, what is this thing?
- MatteoÈ una cosa che ho comprato ieri.It is a thing that I bought yesterday.
- GiuliaÈ una cosa molto strana.It is a very strange thing.
- MatteoSì, lo so, ma è utile.Yes, I know, but it is useful.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry cosa, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cosa, CC BY-SA 4.0.
