What does 'Così fan tutte' literally mean?

It is Italian for 'Thus do all [women]' or 'All women do the same'.

Can I use 'Così fan tutte' in everyday English to describe someone?

No, it is not used as a descriptive phrase in English. Its use is almost entirely confined to reference to Mozart's opera.

How do you pronounce the 'e' at the end of 'tutte'?

In anglicised pronunciation, it is often pronounced like the 'ay' in 'day' (/teɪ/). In Italian, it is /e/.

Is 'Così fan tutte' considered a masterpiece?

Yes, it is widely regarded as one of Mozart's three masterpieces in the Italian opera buffa genre, alongside 'The Marriage of Figaro' and 'Don Giovanni'.

Is “cosi fan tutte” formal?

Cosi fan tutte is usually formal, artistic, cultural in register.

cosi fan tutte: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples

Very low

UK/ˌkɒzi ˌfæn ˈtʊteɪ/US/ˌkoʊsi ˌfɑːn ˈtʊteɪ/

Formal, artistic, cultural

My Flashcards

Quick answer

What does “cosi fan tutte” mean?

A phrase from Italian, literally meaning 'thus do all [women]' or 'all women are like that', used as the title of a famous 1790 Mozart opera.

Audio

Pronunciation

Definition

Meaning and Definition

A phrase from Italian, literally meaning 'thus do all [women]' or 'all women are like that', used as the title of a famous 1790 Mozart opera.

In contemporary English usage, it almost exclusively refers to Mozart's comic opera about love, fidelity, and testing relationships. It may be used metonymically to denote themes of female infidelity, romantic testing, or classical music sophistication.

Dialectal Variation

British vs American Usage

Differences

No significant differences in usage. Both regions use the phrase solely in reference to the opera.

Connotations

Cultural refinement, classical music, Enlightenment-era comedy.

Frequency

Equally rare in both dialects, confined to discussions of opera, classical music, or broader Western culture.

Grammar

How to Use “cosi fan tutte” in a Sentence

[Proper Noun: Title of Opera]

Vocabulary

Collocations

strong

Mozart's Cosìopera Cosìproduction of Così fan tutte

medium

see Così fan tutteperform Cosìmusic from Così

weak

like Cosìinspired by Cosìreference to Così

Usage

Meaning in Context

Business

Not used.

Academic

Used in musicology, theatre studies, and cultural history contexts to discuss Mozart, opera buffa, or 18th-century society.

Everyday

Virtually never used in casual conversation except among classical music enthusiasts.

Technical

Used as a specific catalogue title (K. 588) in music.

Vocabulary

Synonyms of “cosi fan tutte”

Neutral

the Mozart operathe work

Watch out

Common Mistakes When Using “cosi fan tutte”

Misspelling: 'Cosi fan tutti' (incorrect gender agreement).
Mispronouncing 'così' as /ˈkoʊsi/ (KO-see) instead of /ˈkɒzi/ (KOZ-ee).
Using it as a descriptive adjective, e.g., 'a cosi fan tutte situation' (highly non-standard).

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

: It is Italian for 'Thus do all [women]' or 'All women do the same'.
: No, it is not used as a descriptive phrase in English. Its use is almost entirely confined to reference to Mozart's opera.
: In anglicised pronunciation, it is often pronounced like the 'ay' in 'day' (/teɪ/). In Italian, it is /e/.
: Yes, it is widely regarded as one of Mozart's three masterpieces in the Italian opera buffa genre, alongside 'The Marriage of Figaro' and 'Don Giovanni'.
: A phrase from Italian, literally meaning 'thus do all [women]' or 'all women are like that', used as the title of a famous 1790 Mozart opera.
: Cosi fan tutte is usually formal, artistic, cultural in register.

Learning

Memory Aids

Mnemonic

Imagine COSI (a science centre) where FANs of TUTTI-frutti ice cream are all women. 'Cosi fan tutte' – all the women fans are at the science centre.

Conceptual Metaphor

ARTISTIC WORK IS A CULTURAL TOUCHSTONE; A TITLE IS A CONTAINER FOR CULTURAL MEANING.

Practice

Quiz

Fill in the gap

The comic opera by Mozart premiered in 1790.

Multiple Choice

In which context would 'Così fan tutte' most naturally be used in English?