Cosa

Today's WOTD is: "cosa" = thing

1. In Spanish, “cosa” is a feminine noun of Latin origin, the main meaning of which is thing, as in:

• Nos han regalado un montón de cosas (we have been given lots of things as presents);
• La cosa empezó a ponerse fea y llamamos a la policía (things began turning nasty and we called the police);
• Aquel día ocurrieron cosas muy raras (that day very strange things happened);

2. Some expressions in Spanish with the word “cosa” are:

• ¿Cómo va la cosa? (how are things?);
• ¿Cómo van las cosas? (how are things?/ how is everything going?);
• A otra cosa mariposa (and that is it/ moving on);
  • Lo llamé por teléfono y a otra cosa mariposa (I called him on the phone and that was it/ I moved on);
• Apostar por una cosa (to bet on something);
• Cada cosa en su lugar (everything in its place);
• Cada cosa en su sitio (everything in its place);
• Cambiar algo por otra cosa (to exchange one thing for another);
  • Voy a cambiar ese regalo por otra cosa ( I am going to exchange that present for something else);
• Como quien no quiere la cosa (on the quiet/ on the sly/ without realising);
  • Como quien no quiere la cosa, nos quedamos sin dinero (we ran out of money without realising);
• Como si tal cosa (just like that/ as if nothing had happened);
  • A pesar de que era muy tarde, llegamos a casa como si tal cosa (although it was very late, we arrived home as if nothing had happened);
• Cosa de (around/ more or less/ something in the region of);
  • Tardaremos cosa de una hora en llegar a casa (it will take us something in the region of one hour to get home);
• Cosa rara (rare thing/ strange thing/ something unusual);
  • El tren llegó a su hora -cosa rara porque suele llegar con retraso (the train arrived on time -unusual because it is often delayed);
• Cualquier cosa (anything);
  • Creo que harías cualquier cosa por dinero (I think you would do anything for money);
• Cuando no es por una cosa es por otra (when it is not for one thing/ reason it is for another);
  • Cuando no es por una cosa es por otra, siempre acabo llegando a casa tarde (when it is not for one reason it is another, I always end up getting home late);
• Dar cosa (to produce fear/ discomfort/ unease/ etc.);
  • Las arañas me dan cosa (spiders frighten me/ give me the creeps/ make me feel uneasy/ etc.);
• Dar cualquier cosa por algo (to give anything for something);
  • Daría cualquier cosa por ver esa película (I would give anything to see that film);
• La cosa es que (the thing is/ the point is that);
  • La cosa es que tenemos que madrugar (the thing is that we have to get up early);
• La cosa no acaba aquí (this is not the end/ that is not all/ there is more);
  • La cosa no acaba quí, mañana volvemos a empezar (that isn't all, tomorrow we start again);
• La cosa promete (this looks good/ it is promising);
  • Creía que no ibámos a conseguir nada, pero ahora la cosa promete (I thought were weren't going to achieve anything, but now things are looking good);
• La cosa va de (the main point/ the outstanding feature of something is);
  • En primavera, la cosa va de colores (in the spring, the main points are colours);
• La cosa va más allá (this is not the end/ that is not all/ there is more);
  • La cosa va más allá, mañana volvemos a empezar (that isn't all, tomorrow we start again);
• Muy poca cosa (very little/next to nothing);
  • Eso no vale la pena, es muy poca cosa (that is not worth it, it is very little);
• No hacer cosa a derechas (to get everything wrong);
  • Hoy no sé lo que me pasa, no hago cosa a derechas (I don't know what is up with me today. I can't get anything right);
• No sea cosa que (in case something happens);
  • Llevemos paraguas, no sea cosa que vaya a llover (let us take an umbrella in case it rains);
• No ser cosa del otro mundo (to be nothing out of the ordinary);
  • Esa novela no es cosa del otro mundo (that novel is not something out of the ordinary/ is something quite ordinary);
• No ser gran cosa (not to be big thing/ a bit of a let down);
  • Esa película no es gran cosa (that film is not as good as expected);
• Nunca te acostarás sin saber una cosa nueva (you learn something new every day -proverb);
• Poca cosa (a little/ not much/ not a lot);
• Por una cosa o por otra (for one thing/ reason or another);
  • Por una cosa o por otra siempre acabo llegando a casa tarde (for one reason or another, I always end up getting home late);
  • Eso casi no vale la pena, es poca cosa (that is hardly worth it, it is not much);
• Poquita cosa (a little/ hardly anything);
  • Eso casi no vale la pena, es poquita cosa (that is hardly worth it, it is not much);
• Preferir una cosa a otra (to prefer one thing to another);
• Ser cosa de (to be just a question of);
  • Eso es cosa de llamar por teléfono (that is just a question of making a phone call);
• Ser cosa de dos (to be something for two people to do);
  • Discutir es cosa de dos (it takes two to argue);
• Si la cosa se pone chunga (if things take a turn for the worse);
  • Si la cosa se pone chunga, nos vamos a casa (if things take a turn for the worse, we go home);
• Tan poca cosa (so very little/next to nothing);
  • Eso no vale la pena, es tan poca cosa (that is not worth it, it is so very little);
• Tanto una cosa como otra (one thing as much as the other/ both things in equal measure);
  • Tanto una cosa como otra me parecen bien (one thing as much as the other, they are both fine with me);
• Un lugar para cada cosa y cada cosa en su lugar (a place for everything and everything in its place);
• Un sitio para cada cosa y cada cosa en su sitio (a place for everything and everything in its place);
• Una cosa lleva a la otra (one thing leads to another);
• Una cosa no quita la otra (one thing doesn't preclude the other/ both things can coexist with each another);
  • Los buenos modales y el móvil no está reñidos, una cosa no quita la otra (good manners and mobile phones are not at odds, they can coexist with each another other);

Love-Spanish.com loves the word "cosa" in the YouTube clip: Nicola DiBari - Primera Cosa Bella (Subtitulado al Español)

For more on the word "cosa", visit: Wordreference.com/es/en/ Cosa

*NB 'Click' on the speaker icon next to the word “cosa” in the link to hear the word pronounced.

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