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coser

ko-sehrkoˈseɾ

“coser” means “to sew” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

to sew

Also: to stitch, to mend
VerbA2regular er
A hand holding a silver needle with a blue thread, stitching two pieces of colorful fabric together.
gerundcosiendo
past Participlecosido
infinitivecoser

📝 In Action

Mi abuela me enseñó a coser un botón.

A2

My grandmother taught me how to sew a button.

Ella está cosiendo un vestido para la fiesta.

B1

She is sewing a dress for the party.

Tengo que coser este agujero en mis pantalones.

A2

I have to mend this hole in my pants.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • remendar (to mend/patch)
  • zurcir (to darn (socks))

Antonyms

  • descoser (to unsew/rip out stitches)

Common Collocations

  • máquina de coser – sewing machine
  • coser a mano – to sew by hand
  • coser un botón – to sew a button

Idioms & Expressions

  • Coser y cantar – Something that is very easy to do.

to suture

Also: to get stitches
VerbB2regular er
A medical professional's gloved hand carefully using a surgical needle to close a small cut on an arm.

📝 In Action

El cirujano tuvo que coser la herida con mucho cuidado.

B2

The surgeon had to suture the wound very carefully.

Me cosieron tres puntos en la rodilla.

B2

They gave me three stitches in my knee.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • suturar (to suture)

Common Collocations

  • coser una herida – to stitch a wound
  • dar puntos – to give stitches

Subjunctive

Imperfect Subjunctive

yocosiera
túcosieras
él/ella/ustedcosiera
nosotroscosiéramos
vosotroscosierais
ellos/ellas/ustedescosieran

Present Subjunctive

yocosa
túcosas
él/ella/ustedcosa
nosotroscosamos
vosotroscosáis
ellos/ellas/ustedescosan

Indicative

Preterite

yocosí
túcosiste
él/ella/ustedcosió
nosotroscosimos
vosotroscosisteis
ellos/ellas/ustedescosieron

Imperfect

yocosía
túcosías
él/ella/ustedcosía
nosotroscosíamos
vosotroscosíais
ellos/ellas/ustedescosían

Present

yocoso
túcoses
él/ella/ustedcose
nosotroscosemos
vosotroscoséis
ellos/ellas/ustedescosen
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "coser" in Spanish:

to mend→to sew→to stitch→to suture→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: coser

Question 1 of 3

What does the idiom 'coser y cantar' mean?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
costura(sewing/seam) — Noun
costurera(seamstress) — Noun
descoser(to unsew) — Verb
cosido(sewn) — Adjective
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

From the Latin word 'consuere', which means 'to sew together'.

First recorded: 12th century

Cognates (Related words)

Italian: cucireFrench: coudrePortuguese: coser

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'coser' an irregular verb?

No, 'coser' is a completely regular -er verb. It follows the same pattern as 'comer'.

What is the difference between 'coser' and 'cocer'?

They are homophones (sound the same) in Latin America. 'Coser' means to sew fabric, while 'Cocer' means to cook or boil food.

Can 'coser' be used for medical stitches?

Yes! While 'suturar' is the formal word, 'coser' is very commonly used to talk about a doctor putting stitches in a wound.