Così

Così is an Italian adverb meaning “thus” or “so.” It denotes the manner in which something is done, or marks a conclusion or result, and it can function as an intensifier in phrases such as “così bene” (so well) or “così tanto” (so much). The standard spelling includes a grave accent on the i, così, to indicate stress on the final syllable.

In grammar, cosi is versatile. It can stand alone in clauses like “Fallo così” (Do it this way) or be used to introduce a conclusion, as in “Così va la vita” (That’s how life goes). It also appears in the conjunctional sense “così che,” meaning “so that,” to express purpose or consequence, e.g., “Ha studiato tutto il giorno, così che potesse superare l’esame” (He studied all day, so that he could pass the exam).

Così is widely employed in literature, speech, and song, and it is notably featured in the title of Mozart’s opera Così fan tutte (Thus Do They All), with a libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. The opera, first performed in 1790, explores themes of fidelity and disguise, using the word in its introductory sense of “thus” or “in this way.”

Orthographically, così is capitalized only at the beginning of a sentence or in titles; otherwise it remains in lowercase. It has cognates in other Romance languages, such as así in Spanish and ainsi in French, reflecting a common Indo-European origin for expressions of manner and conclusion.