ragazza dolce
/raˈɡat.t͡sa ˈdol.t͡ʃe/word by word
The English phrase "sweet girl" is translated into Italian as ragazza dolce.
Note that the word dolce can describe both a person's temperament, meaning gentle or kind and the literal taste of food, such as something being sweet.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the noun ragazza (girl) and the adjective dolce (sweet).
How does it change in a sentence?
If you wish to refer to a sweet boy instead of a girl, change the feminine noun ragazza to the masculine ragazzo to form ragazzo dolce.
How do you pronounce it?
It has 5 syllables, with the stress on the 2nd syllable.
Did you know?
- The word ragazza likely has roots in a Greek word meaning a 'rag' or 'tatter', implying the phrase originally described someone wearing worn-out clothes.
- While dolce means 'sweet', it is also the name of a specific category of Italian desserts. If a waiter asks if you want a dolce, they are offering you a dessert course rather than describing a person.
- The term ragazza is often used in Italy to mean 'girlfriend' in a romantic context. Depending on the situation, la mia ragazza dolce could be interpreted as 'my sweet girlfriend'.
Examples in context
- È una ragazza dolce.She's a sweet girl.This sentence is useful for saying 'She's a sweet girl' using ragazza dolce.Tatoeba #12550894 by Guybrush88, translation #1879003 by Spamster
- Mary è una ragazza dolce.Mary is a sweet girl.This sentence is useful for saying 'Mary is a sweet girl' using ragazza dolce.Tatoeba #5221463 by Guybrush88, translation #5221372 by CK
Example conversation
Chiara and Lorenzo are talking about a mutual friend.
- ChiaraHai conosciuto Sofia? È una ragazza dolce.Have you met Sofia? She is a sweet girl.
- LorenzoSì, mi è piaciuta subito.Yes, I liked her immediately.
- ChiaraÈ sempre gentile con tutti.She is always kind to everyone.
- LorenzoSi vede che è una persona speciale.You can tell she is a special person.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (ragazza, dolce) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dolce, ragazza, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
