Zoete

Zoete is a Dutch adjective meaning sweet. It describes tastes and flavors, such as in phrases like zoete koek, zoete smaken, or een zoete aardbei. Beyond taste, zoet can also describe pleasant or gentle qualities in people, sounds, or memories, for example zoete herinneringen or een zoet geluid.

In modern Dutch, zoet is inflected to agree with the noun it modifies. The form zoete is commonly used before plural nouns or in definite constructions, as in de zoete smaken or zoete koekjes. In other contexts, the base form zoet may appear, depending on grammatical factors such as gender and number. The word is part of standard Dutch vocabulary and is widely understood across Dutch-speaking regions.

Zoet has several related forms and derivatives. Zoetheid and zoetigheid refer to sweetness as a noun, capturing the quality or characteristic of being sweet. Zoetstoffen are artificial or natural substances used to provide sweetness, and zoetstof is the singular form. The term can also function metaphorically to express affection or endearment.

Etymologically, zoet is of Germanic origin and has cognates in related West Germanic languages, reflecting the shared semantic field of sweetness. The spelling zoet/zoete reflects Dutch adjective inflection. The word is commonly used in gastronomy, cuisine, and everyday speech to convey a sense of pleasantness, sugar content, or nostalgic warmth.