Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| dulce | /ˈdulθe/ /ˈdulse/ |
| rico | /ˈriko/ |
| sabroso | /saˈbɾoso/ |
The primary way to say sweet is dulce, which is the most general and straightforward translation. It can describe the literal sugary taste of food or a person's kind and gentle personality. If you want to describe a taste specifically caused by sugar, you might use azucarado/a. If something is excessively sweet to an overwhelming degree, the word empalagoso/a is used. Additionally, when referring to a sugary confection, you can use dulce, caramelo or chuche.
Which one should you use?
While dulce specifically refers to a sugary or sweet taste, rico is often used colloquially to mean delicious or tasty when describing sweet foods. The term sabroso is another option for describing tasty or flavorful items.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective dulce is invariant for gender, meaning it remains the same whether it describes a masculine or feminine noun. To make the adjective plural, add -s to form dulces. The adverbial form is dulcemente, meaning in a sweet manner.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈdulθe/
When do people say it?
When expressing affection, Spanish speakers may use cariño as a term of endearment or amor as a pet name similar to the English word love.
Did you know?
- While dulce describes a kind personality, using empalagoso to describe a person implies they are overly clingy or suffocatingly affectionate.
- The word rico is also the standard word for 'rich' in terms of money, creating a double meaning of wealth and taste.
- The word rico, commonly used to say something tastes sweet and good, actually stems from a Germanic word meaning 'mighty' or 'powerful'.
Examples in context
- Tom es muy dulce.Tom is very sweet.This sentence is useful for describing a person's personality using dulce.Tatoeba #1654628 by hayastan, translation #1650249 by Spamster
- Eso es tan dulce.That's so sweet.This sentence shows how to express that something is very sweet using dulce.Tatoeba #1898704 by marcelostockle, translation #1897819 by CK
- El té está dulce.The tea is sweet.This sentence is useful for describing the taste of a drink using dulce.Tatoeba #13558932 by Seael, translation #12536282 by sundown
- ¡La tarta de chocolate es muy dulce!The chocolate cake is very sweet!
- Me encanta el sabor dulce de las fresas.I love the sweet taste of strawberries.
- ¡Qué dulce canción!What a sweet song!
- La bebida está demasiado empalagosa para mi gusto.The drink is too sweet for my taste.
- El café está muy azucarado.The coffee is very sweet.
- Me gustan las galletas azucaradas.I like sugar-coated cookies.
- Hola, cariño. ¿Cómo estás hoy?Hi, sweetheart. How are you today?
- Este pastel tiene un sabor muy dulce.This cake has a very sweet flavor.
- El helado de vainilla es mi favorito porque es muy dulce.Vanilla ice cream is my favorite because it's very sweet.
- 116 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and María are eating a dessert in a cafe.
- Daniel¿Te gusta este pastel, María?Do you like this cake, María?
- MaríaSí, es muy dulce y rico.Yes, it is very sweet and tasty.
- DanielA mí me parece un poco dulce.To me, it seems a little sweet.
- MaríaEs verdad, pero es delicioso.It's true, but it is delicious.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sweet” translations and entries dulce, rico, sabroso, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dulce, rico, sabroso, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
