dolce
/ˈdol.t͡ʃe/
The Italian word for sweet is dolce.
dolce is primarily used to describe something that has a pleasant taste. It can also be used to describe a gentle sound or a sweet, kind personality. If you want to describe something that is specifically sugary or cloying, you should use zuccheroso instead. To describe the quality of being sweet, use the noun dolcezza. To describe an action performed in a sweet manner, use the adverb dolcemente.
Meaning: having a pleasant taste (adj)
Which one should you use?
While dolce refers to a pleasant sweetness in taste, personality or sound, zuccheroso is reserved for things that are overly sugary. If you are referring to a sugary confection, you might use dolcetto or caramella.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective dolce is invariable in gender, so it remains the same whether describing a masculine or feminine noun. For plural nouns, the form changes to dolci, which is used for both masculine and feminine plural subjects.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /ˈdol.tʃe/. It has two syllables, and the stress is on the first syllable.
Did you know?
- In Italian, dolce can describe water that is not salty, meaning 'fresh water' is referred to as acqua dolce.
- The phrase dolce far niente describes the sweetness of doing nothing and is a cultural ideal of leisure in Italy.
- The Latin root dulcem is also the ancestor of the English word 'dulcet', which is used to describe pleasant sounds.
Examples in context
- Il tè è dolce.The tea is sweet.This sentence shows how to describe a sweet beverage using dolce.Tatoeba #12537721 by LucyDee, translation #12536282 by sundown
- La mela è dolce.The apple is sweet.This sentence shows how to describe a sweet fruit using dolce.Tatoeba #10109979 by Guybrush88, translation #10109975 by ddnktr
- Ha la voce dolce.He has a sweet voice.This sentence shows how to describe a sweet voice using dolce.Tatoeba #1306593 by Guybrush88, translation #293225 by CM
- Mi scusi, signora, ma lei è davvero dolce.Excuse me, madam, but you are truly sweet.
- Quella bambina è davvero carina!That little girl is really sweet!
- Mi piace molto il tuo abito, è carinissimo.I really like your dress, it's very sweet/cute.
- Buon compleanno, tesoro mio!Happy birthday, my sweet/darling treasure!
- 189 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Francesco and Giulia are tasting a cake in the kitchen.
- FrancescoQuesto dolce è troppo dolce.This cake is too sweet.
- GiuliaDavvero? A me piace così.Really? I like it this way.
- FrancescoPreferisco un sapore meno dolce.I prefer a less sweet taste.
- GiuliaAllora bevi un po' di caffè.Then drink some coffee.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sweet” translations and entries dolce, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dolce, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
