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cortesia

courtesy, kindness

noun kor-teh-ZEE-ah Rare
Mind & Emotions Values

Origin: From Old French cortoisie, from cortois (courtly), ultimately from Latin cohors (court).

Also means

favour, polite gesture

Usage Note

Cortesia appears in the polite formula per cortesia ('please', equivalent to per favore) and in omaggio di cortesia ('complimentary gift'). The adjective is cortese. Note that 's' between vowels is voiced: 'ZEE'. A cortesia can also be a specific act of kindness, not just an abstract quality.

Examples

"Per cortesia, puoi aprire la finestra?"

Natural Translation

Please, could you open the window?

Literal Translation

For courtesy, can you open the window?

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