doux
/du/
The English word "sweet" can be translated into French as doux.
doux is used to describe a pleasant or mild taste, but its use extends to other sensations such as things that are soft or gentle, like a gentle breeze. To describe something specifically containing or tasting of sugar, the word sucré is used instead. When describing a person's sweet nature in formal contexts, you might use agréable for pleasant or charmant(e) to convey a sense of charm and appeal.
Meaning: having a pleasant taste (adj)
Which one should you use?
While doux describes a pleasant or mild taste, sucré is used specifically to denote that something is sugary or has been sweetened.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec, Canada, the expression méga mignon is frequently used to emphasize that something is extremely sweet or cute.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective must agree in gender with the noun it modifies: use douce for feminine nouns. The masculine plural form of doux remains doux, as the final x does not change in the plural.
How do you pronounce it?
/du/
Did you know?
- The word doux is used to describe 'mild' weather, meaning it is pleasantly warm rather than cold.
- While doux can mean sweet, if you describe a person as being too doux, it might imply they are pushover or lack character, rather than being lovely.
- The expression en douceur describes doing something 'sweetly' or 'softly', often meaning to handle a situation with tact or without conflict.
Examples in context
- Ce vin est doux.This wine is sweet.This sentence shows how to use doux to describe the taste of wine.Tatoeba #13071435 by zogwarg, translation #11817591 by ddnktr
- Tout sucre est doux.All sugar is sweet.This sentence illustrates that all sugar is sweet using doux.Tatoeba #3435083 by Rovo, translation #243600 by CM
- Est-ce doux ou amer ?Is it sweet or sour?This sentence demonstrates a contrast between sweet and sour using doux.Tatoeba #3471030 by Lulantis, translation #42531 by CM
- Quelle charmante personne vous êtes !What a sweet person you are!
- Ces souvenirs tendres resteront gravés dans ma mémoire.These sweet memories will stay etched in my mind.
- Les habitants de ce village sont très sympas.The people in this village are very sweet.
- Ton message était vraiment gentil, merci !Your message was really sweet, thank you!
- Ton nouveau chiot est trop chou !Your new puppy is so sweet!
- La petite fille avec les couettes est méga mignonne !The little girl with pigtails is extremely sweet!
- 25 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Manon are tasting a dessert together.
- HugoGoûte ce gâteau, Manon !Taste this cake, Manon!
- ManonC'est très doux, j'adore ça.It's very sweet, I love it.
- HugoJe trouve ça un peu trop doux.I find it a bit too sweet.
- ManonMoi, je préfère quand c'est doux.Me, I prefer when it's sweet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sweet” translations and entries doux, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
