Dolça

Dolça is the feminine singular form of the Catalan adjective dolç, meaning sweet in taste or pleasant in character. It can describe edible flavors as well as non-edible qualities, such as a gentle mood, a soft sound, or an affectionate gesture. The word derives from Latin dulcis and has cognates in other Romance languages, including Spanish dulce, Italian dolce, French doux, and Portuguese doce.

In Catalan, adjectives agree with the noun in gender and number. Therefore, dolça attests to feminine singular nouns, while the masculine singular is dolç; the feminine plural is dolces and the masculine plural is dolços. Examples: una poma dolça (a sweet apple); les pomes dolces (the sweet apples); una veu dolça (a sweet voice); una melodia dolça (a sweet melody).

Usage notes: dolça is most commonly found after the noun in everyday speech, as in poma dolça, although stylistic variations can occur in poetry or rhetorical writing where an adjective might appear before the noun for emphasis. It is used across contexts to convey genuine sweetness as well as metaphorical gentleness or kindness.

See also: dolç, pomes, veus, melodies.