dulces
“dulces” means “sweets” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
sweets
Also: candy, desserts
📝 In Action
Mi abuela siempre tiene un tarro lleno de dulces.
A1My grandmother always has a jar full of sweets (candy).
Compramos muchos dulces para la fiesta de cumpleaños.
A1We bought a lot of candy for the birthday party.
No comas tantos dulces antes de la cena.
A2Don't eat so many sweets before dinner.
sweet
Also: gentle
📝 In Action
Estas fresas están muy dulces.
A1These strawberries are very sweet.
Sus palabras eran dulces y amables.
B1His words were sweet and kind.
Las voces de los niños sonaban dulces en el coro.
B2The children's voices sounded sweet in the choir.
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: dulces
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence uses 'dulces' as a noun (meaning candy/sweets)?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Latin word *dulcis*, which meant 'sweet' or 'pleasant.' The Spanish word kept the core meaning related to taste and pleasantness.
First recorded: Appeared in Spanish as 'dulce' during the early development of the language from Vulgar Latin.
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'dulces' only for candy, or can it mean other desserts?
While 'dulces' most commonly means packaged candy or confectionery, it can also be used broadly to refer to sweet pastries or treats, especially in plural form. If you want to specify a meal's final course, use 'postre' (dessert).
How do I know if 'dulces' is an adjective or a noun in a sentence?
If it has 'los' or 'unos' in front of it (Los dulces, Unos dulces), it's almost certainly the noun meaning 'sweets.' If it comes after a noun and describes it (palabras dulces, frutas dulces), it is the adjective 'sweet.'