coisa

Probably from Latin eccu + sic. Compare Italian così, Istriot cussèi, Venetian cusì, Friulian cussì.

coisa

1. so
2. as, like
3. like this/that

• coysa (obsolete)
• cousa (dated)

From Old Portuguese cousa, inherited from Latin causa (“cause, reason”), in later and Vulgar Latin meaning "thing". Doublet of the borrowing causa. Compare French chose, Galician cousa, Spanish cosa, Italian cosa.

• (Portugal, Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈkoj.zɐ/
• Hyphenation: coi‧sa

coisa f (plural coisas)

1. thing (a physical object, entity or situation)

   Aconteceu uma coisa bastante estranha ontem à noite.

   A very strange thing happened last night.

   Comprei umas coisas com o salário desse mês.

   I bought some stuff with this month’s salary.

2. thingamajig; gizmo, thingy (something whose name is unknown)

   Me alcance aquela coisa.

   Hand that thing over to me.

For quotations of use of this term, see Citations:coisa.

• (thingy): troço (Brazil), treco (Brazil), negócio (Brazil), bagulho (Brazil), bagaça (Brazil), trem (Brazil), pira (Brazil), cena (Portugal), bang

• coisinha (diminutive), coisazinha (diminutive, rare)
• coisona, coisão (augmentatives)
• coisa-feia
• coisa-ruim
• coisas do arco-da-velha

• Kabuverdianu: kusa
• Papiamentu: kousa