bossa nova

See also: Bossa Nova, bossa novą, bossanova, and bossa-nova

English

Etymology

From colloquial Brazilian Portuguese bossa (“inclination, propensity, trend”, literally “protuberance”) + nova (“new”). Compare the English expression new wave, or the French nouvelle vague.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbɒsə ˈnəʊvə/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Noun

bossa nova (countable and uncountable, plural bossa novas)

1. A lively Brazilian dance that is similar to the samba.
2. The music of that dance.
   1. A genre of music originating from Brazil, similar to a fusion of jazz and samba music, no longer closely associated with the Brazilian dance.

Translations

dance

• Bulgarian: бо́са но́ва f (bósa nóva)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 巴薩諾瓦 / 巴萨诺瓦 (zh)

• Czech: bossa nova f, bossanova f
• Dutch: bossanova (nl) m
• Finnish: bossa nova (fi)
• French: bossa nova (fr) f
• German: Bossa Nova m or f
• Polish: bossa nova (pl) f
• Portuguese: bossa nova (pt) f
• Romanian: bossa-nova (ro) f
• Russian: босано́ва (ru) f (bosanóva)

music

• Bulgarian: бо́са но́ва f (bósa nóva)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 巴薩諾瓦 / 巴萨诺瓦 (zh)

• Czech: bossa nova f, bossanova f
• Dutch: bossanova (nl) m
• Finnish: bossa nova (fi)
• French: bossa nova (fr) f
• German: Bossa Nova m or f
• Polish: bossa nova (pl) f
• Portuguese: bossa nova (pt) f
• Romanian: bossa-nova (ro) f
• Russian: босано́ва (ru) f (bosanóva)

Finnish

Etymology

< Portuguese bossa nova

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbosːɑˌnoʋɑ/, [ˈbo̞s̠ːɑ̝ˌno̞ʋɑ̝]

Noun

bossa nova

1. bossa nova (dance and music)

Declension

Inflection of bossa nova (Kotus type 10/koira, no gradation)
nominative		bossa nova	bossa novat
genitive		bossa novan	bossa novien
partitive		bossa novaa	bossa novia
illative		bossa novaan	bossa noviin
		singular	plural
nominative		bossa nova	bossa novat
accusative	nom.	bossa nova	bossa novat
	gen.	bossa novan
genitive		bossa novan	bossa novien bossa novain rare
partitive		bossa novaa	bossa novia
inessive		bossa novassa	bossa novissa
elative		bossa novasta	bossa novista
illative		bossa novaan	bossa noviin
adessive		bossa novalla	bossa novilla
ablative		bossa novalta	bossa novilta
allative		bossa novalle	bossa noville
essive		bossa novana	bossa novina
translative		bossa novaksi	bossa noviksi
abessive		bossa novatta	bossa novitta
instructive		—	bossa novin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of bossa nova (Kotus type 10/koira, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative bossa novani bossa novani accusative nom. bossa novani bossa novani gen. bossa novani genitive bossa novani bossa novieni bossa novaini rare partitive bossa novaani bossa noviani inessive bossa novassani bossa novissani elative bossa novastani bossa novistani illative bossa novaani bossa noviini adessive bossa novallani bossa novillani ablative bossa novaltani bossa noviltani allative bossa novalleni bossa novilleni essive bossa novanani bossa novinani translative bossa novakseni bossa novikseni abessive bossa novattani bossa novittani instructive — — comitative — bossa novineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative bossa novasi bossa novasi accusative nom. bossa novasi bossa novasi gen. bossa novasi genitive bossa novasi bossa noviesi bossa novaisi rare partitive bossa novaasi bossa noviasi inessive bossa novassasi bossa novissasi elative bossa novastasi bossa novistasi illative bossa novaasi bossa noviisi adessive bossa novallasi bossa novillasi ablative bossa novaltasi bossa noviltasi allative bossa novallesi bossa novillesi essive bossa novanasi bossa novinasi translative bossa novaksesi bossa noviksesi abessive bossa novattasi bossa novittasi instructive — — comitative — bossa novinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative bossa novamme bossa novamme accusative nom. bossa novamme bossa novamme gen. bossa novamme genitive bossa novamme bossa noviemme bossa novaimme rare partitive bossa novaamme bossa noviamme inessive bossa novassamme bossa novissamme elative bossa novastamme bossa novistamme illative bossa novaamme bossa noviimme adessive bossa novallamme bossa novillamme ablative bossa novaltamme bossa noviltamme allative bossa novallemme bossa novillemme essive bossa novanamme bossa novinamme translative bossa novaksemme bossa noviksemme abessive bossa novattamme bossa novittamme instructive — — comitative — bossa novinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative bossa novanne bossa novanne accusative nom. bossa novanne bossa novanne gen. bossa novanne genitive bossa novanne bossa novienne bossa novainne rare partitive bossa novaanne bossa novianne inessive bossa novassanne bossa novissanne elative bossa novastanne bossa novistanne illative bossa novaanne bossa noviinne adessive bossa novallanne bossa novillanne ablative bossa novaltanne bossa noviltanne allative bossa novallenne bossa novillenne essive bossa novananne bossa novinanne translative bossa novaksenne bossa noviksenne abessive bossa novattanne bossa novittanne instructive — — comitative — bossa novinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative bossa novansa bossa novansa accusative nom. bossa novansa bossa novansa gen. bossa novansa genitive bossa novansa bossa noviensa bossa novainsa rare partitive bossa novaansa bossa noviaan bossa noviansa inessive bossa novassaan bossa novassansa bossa novissaan bossa novissansa elative bossa novastaan bossa novastansa bossa novistaan bossa novistansa illative bossa novaansa bossa noviinsa adessive bossa novallaan bossa novallansa bossa novillaan bossa novillansa ablative bossa novaltaan bossa novaltansa bossa noviltaan bossa noviltansa allative bossa novalleen bossa novallensa bossa novilleen bossa novillensa essive bossa novanaan bossa novanansa bossa novinaan bossa novinansa translative bossa novakseen bossa novaksensa bossa novikseen bossa noviksensa abessive bossa novattaan bossa novattansa bossa novittaan bossa novittansa instructive — — comitative — bossa novineen bossa novinensa

Further reading

• “bossa nova”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[1] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 14 May 2026

Polish

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from Brazilian Portuguese bossa nova.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbɔ.sa ˈnɔ.va/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Syllabification: bo‧ssa no‧va

Noun

bossa nova f

1. bossa nova (dance)
2. bossa nova (music)

Declension

Declension of bossa nova

	singular
nominative	bossa nova
genitive	bossa novy
dative	bossa novie
accusative	bossa novę
instrumental	bossa novą
locative	bossa novie
vocative	bossa novo

Further reading

• “bossa nova”, in Wielki słownik języka polskiego‎^[2] (in Polish), Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• “bossa nova”, in Polish dictionaries at PWN‎^[3] (in Polish)

Portuguese

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈbɔ.sɐ ˈnɔ.vɐ/

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈbɔ.sɐ ˈnɔ.vɐ/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈbɔ.sɐ ˈnɔ.vɐ/
  • (Northern Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈbɔ.sɐ ˈnɔ.bɐ/ [ˈbɔ.sɐ ˈnɔ.βɐ]

• Audio (Brazil):

  (file)

Noun

bossa nova f (uncountable)

1. (music) bossa nova (Brazilian musical movement)

Further reading

• “bossa nova”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Spanish

Alternative forms

• bossanova

Etymology

Borrowed from Brazilian Portuguese bossa nova.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˌbosa ˈnoba/ [ˌbo.sa ˈno.β̞a]
• Syllabification: bos‧sa no‧va

Noun

bossa nova f (uncountable)

1. (music) bossa nova

Further reading

“bossa nova”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025