cortesia
courtesy, kindness
noun kor-teh-ZEE-ah Rare
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?
Related Words
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