Dulce

Dulce is Spanish for “sweet.” It most commonly shows up in English in foods whose names come from Spanish, like dulce de leche and pan dulce.

In Spanish, dulce literally means “sweet,” but it’s commonly used to refer to sugary treats—much like how we use the word sweets in English.

The related English word dolce (which is taken from Italian instead of Spanish) means sweet or soft.

Dulce is also used as a female name, especially in places where Spanish is spoken.

Example: Although dulce de leche and caramel look and taste a lot alike, caramel is made from sugar, while dulce de leche is made from sweetened milk.

Dulce comes from Spanish and ultimately derives from the Latin word dulcis, meaning “sweet.” The same word forms the basis of the English words dolce and dulcet, meaning “pleasant.”

If you’ve never gotten something topped or flavored with dulce de leche, do yourself a favor next time you have the chance. Dulce de leche is a popular treat in many Latin American countries, and it has gained widespread popularity elsewhere, especially in the U.S., where many people are familiar with the name even if they don’t speak Spanish. The dulce in the name refers to a sweet treat, so dulce de leche translates to something like “sweet treat of milk” or “sweet milk dessert.”

Pan dulce (Spanish for “sweet bread”) is a general name for all kinds of Mexican pastries. Dulce can also refer to certain sweet wines. Starbucks has a coffee flavor called cinnamon dolce—in which dolce is the Italian equivalent of the word dulce.

Dulce appears in the title of the popular World War I-era poem by English poet Wilfred Owen. The poem is named in reference to a line attributed to the Roman poet Horace: dulce et decorum est pro patria mori, which translates from Latin as “it is sweet and fitting to die for one’s country.”

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• dolce
• dulcet
• dulcify��

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• sweet
• sugary
• dessert
• caramel
• sauce
• candy
• pastry
• Spanish

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• dolce

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In English, dulce is most commonly seen in the names of foods that originated in Spanish-speaking countries.

i feel sorry for people who have never tried dulce de leche ice cream before

— َluc (@soonbff)

Woke up to an empty house, made some coffee, some waffles, and had some pan dulce. Life is gr8

— Orellana (@chris_jokester)

I miss Dulce, cause you know… She's so dulce c; <3

— ♏️ (@cierraxxv)

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Which of the following words is MOST likely to be used to describe a food that has dulce in its name?

A. salty
B. sweet
C. sour
D. bitter