cosa
/ˈkɔ.za/
The Italian word for "what" is cosa, which functions as an interrogative pronoun. Wiktionary also lists che cosa and che.
Meaning: what? (interrogative pronoun) (pron)
Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA |
|---|---|
| cosa | /ˈkɔ.za/ (Central and Southern Italy) /ˈkɔ.sa/ (Central and Southern Italy) |
| che cosa | /ke‿kˈkɔ.za/ /ke ˈkɔ.za/ |
| che | /ˈke/ |
The primary use of these forms is to ask "what?" in a question. Additionally, the word cosa can be used as an interjection to express surprise. The word che can also be used as an interjection to begin an exclamation, similar to "How!" in English or to mean "what/which" in certain fixed expressions.
Which one should you use?
che cosa is slightly more formal or emphatic than the shorter cosa. che is often used in more casual, rapid speech, though it is grammatically more complete as che cosa or cosa.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When used as a relative pronoun or within certain fixed expressions, che can function as "what" or "that" in English.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /ˈkɔ.za/. It has two syllables, with the stress on the first syllable.
Did you know?
- The word cosa originates from the Latin 'causa', which meant 'cause', reason, or legal matter, rather than a physical object.
- While che cosa is the full form, Italians often use just che or cosa depending on the region, with Northern speakers leaning toward che and Southern speakers toward cosa.
- While cosa means 'thing' in most contexts, the phrase che cosa is a linguistic tautology meaning 'what thing' that became the standard way to say 'what'.
Examples in context
- A che ora va?At what time is she going?This sentence shows how to use che to ask about time.Tatoeba #7947131 by Guybrush88, translation #7789281 by sharris123
- Che ora è ora?What time is it?Tatoeba #842741 by Guybrush88, translation #428402 by laofmoonster
- A che piano è?What floor is it on?This sentence shows how to use che to ask about a floor level.Tatoeba #5706014 by Guybrush88, translation #5637925 by CK
- Scusi, cosa diceva?Excuse me, what were you saying?
- Mi scusi, che cosa mi consiglia?Excuse me, what do you suggest?
- Che fai domani?What are you doing tomorrow?
- Cosa hai mangiato a pranzo?What did you have for lunch?
- Scusa, non capisco. Che cosa vuoi dire?Sorry, I don't understand. What do you mean?
- Come mai sei arrivato in ritardo?Why did you arrive late?
- 16456 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alessandro and Chiara are talking in the kitchen.
- AlessandroChiara, cosa cucini?Chiara, what are you cooking?
- ChiaraFaccio la pasta.I'm making pasta.
- AlessandroCosa vuoi bere con la pasta?What do you want to drink with the pasta?
- ChiaraPrendo un bicchiere d'acqua.I'll have a glass of water.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “what” translations and entries cosa, che cosa, che, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries che, cosa, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
