cotidiano

Cotidiano is a term used in Portuguese to describe what belongs to or occurs in the daily or everyday life. It can function as an adjective, as in tarefas cotidianas (daily tasks) or problemas cotidianos (everyday problems), and as a noun, where o cotidiano refers to the daily life, routines, and ordinary activities of people or a society. The word is common in journalism, sociology, literature, and everyday speech to distinguish the ordinary from the exceptional.

Etymology and forms. Cotidiano derives from Latin quotidianus, from quotidius, meaning daily, which in turn comes from the adverb quotidi(e) “daily.” In Portuguese it yields the masculine form cotidiano, the feminine cotidiana, and the plural cotidianos and cotidianas. The term is closely related to synonyms such as rotina, dia a dia, and cotidiano is often used to emphasize the routine aspects of life rather than a diary or a single day’s record.

Usage and contexts. In Brazilian and European Portuguese, cotidiano is widely used in phrases such as vida cotidiana and rotina cotidiana to refer to ordinary life and day-to-day activities. It can carry a neutral or descriptive tone, but in cultural or sociological discourse it frequently contrasts the mundane with the extraordinary and is used to explore how people live, work, and interact in ordinary settings.

See also. The concept is often discussed in studies of everyday life, daily routines, and cultural practices, and is contrasted with terms for the extraordinary, the exceptional, or the diary.