dolce

word

Definition

'Dolce' is an Italian musical term that means to play music sweetly or softly, with a gentle, tender feeling.

Usage & Nuances

'Dolce' is used mostly in music, especially in sheet music, to direct how a passage should sound. It is not used in daily conversation to mean 'sweet'. In English, it is pronounced 'DOHL-chay'. Often paired with dynamics (e.g., 'piano dolce').

Spanish: dulce (música) - suavemente (música)Portuguese (BR): doce (música) - suavemente (música)Portuguese (PT): doce (música) - suavemente (música)Chinese (Simplified): 柔和地（音乐术语）Chinese (Traditional): 柔和地（音樂術語）Hindi: डोल्चे (संगीत में, कोमलता से)Arabic: دولتشي (مصطلح موسيقي: بنعومة)Bengali: ডোলচে (সঙ্গীত নির্দেশনা)Russian: дольче (музыкальный термин)Japanese: ドルチェ (音楽用語)Vietnamese: dolce (ký hiệu nhạc)Korean: 돌체 (음악 용어)Turkish: dolce (müzik terimi)Urdu: ڈولچے (موسیقی اصطلاح)Indonesian: dolce (istilah musik)

Example Sentences

The sheet music says to play this part dolce.

basic

The pianist played the melody dolce, creating a gentle mood.

basic

The word dolce tells musicians to play sweetly and softly.

basic

Whenever she sees 'dolce' in her music, she knows to play with extra emotion.

natural

You’ll hear a soft, dolce passage near the end of that song.

natural

Mark underlined 'dolce' to remind himself to play with a gentle touch.

natural