niño dulce
/niɲo dulθe/from spelling rules
The English phrase "sweet boy" is translated into Spanish as niño dulce.
While the word dulce can also refer to something that tastes sweet, when applied to a person, it refers to their kind or gentle temperament.
Which one should you use?
While niño dulce emphasizes a gentle or tender nature, the phrase niño bueno is more commonly used to describe a boy who is well-behaved or "good".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some Caribbean countries, particularly the Dominican Republic, Nene bonito is used to express endearment for a "sweet boy".
How does it change in a sentence?
To refer to a sweet girl, change the masculine noun niño to the feminine niña to get niña dulce. To make the phrase plural, both the noun and the adjective must take the plural ending s, resulting in niños dulces.
How do you pronounce it?
/niɲo dulθe/
Did you know?
- The word niño likely comes from the Vulgar Latin *ninnus, which was an imitation of the babbling sounds infants make. This is similar to how the English words 'nanny' and 'nana' were formed.
- Depending on the region, the 'c' in dulce is pronounced as a 's' sound in Latin America and as a 'th' sound in most of Spain.
- In some Spanish dialects, calling a boy dulce can be seen as an extremely tender, almost maternal expression that is less common among male peers.
Examples in context
- Mario es un chico dulce y siempre está dispuesto a ayudar a sus amigosMario is a sweet boy and is always ready to help his friends
- Mi sobrino es un niño tierno y siempre me dibuja hermosos corazonesMy nephew is a sweet boy and always draws beautiful hearts for me
- Ese chavo lindo siempre me saca una sonrisa con sus ocurrenciasThat sweet boy always makes me smile with his funny antics
Example conversation
Elena and Javier are looking at a photo of Javier's nephew.
- ElenaMira esta foto, ¡qué niño dulce!Look at this photo, what a sweet boy!
- JavierSí, mi sobrino es muy cariñoso.Yes, my nephew is very affectionate.
- ElenaSe nota que es un niño dulce.You can tell he is a sweet boy.
- JavierGracias, Elena. Te caerá muy bien.Thanks, Elena. You will like him a lot.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dulce, niño, CC BY-SA 4.0.
