Délicatement

Délicatement is a French adverb meaning "in a delicate manner," "gently," or "with subtlety." It derives from the adjective délicat (feminine délicate) plus the adverbial suffix -ment; the adjective itself traces back to Old French and Latin delicatus, related to delight or pleasure. Pronunciation is commonly rendered approximately as [de.li.ka.tə.mɑ̃] (roughly "day-lee-kah-tuh-mahn").

In grammar, délicatement modifies verbs, adjectives or other adverbs to indicate careful, gentle, or fine action: for example, "Elle posa le vase délicatement" (She placed the vase gently) or "Il parle délicatement" (He speaks softly). The word appears across registers from everyday speech to literary prose and is frequent in descriptions of touch, movement, taste and aesthetic judgment.

Common synonyms include doucement, légèrement and finement; antonyms include brutalement and vigoureusement. In specialized contexts, such as cooking or music, délicatement signals restraint or finesse (e.g., assaisonner délicatement, jouer délicatement). It can also be used idiomatically with expressions like avec délicatesse.

Translations in other languages include English "delicately," Spanish "delicadamente," and Italian "delicatamente." As with many adverbs derived from adjectives, placement in a French sentence follows typical adverbial rules and may affect emphasis and nuance.