Inklingo

How to Say "tenderness" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “tenderness” is “cariño” — use 'cariño' when referring to the feeling of deep affection and gentle care you have for someone or something, often implying a personal bond..

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cariño

nounA2general
Use 'cariño' when referring to the feeling of deep affection and gentle care you have for someone or something, often implying a personal bond.

Examples

Le tengo mucho cariño a mi abuela.

I have a lot of affection for my grandmother.

dulzura

dool-ZOO-rah (like 'tool' but with a 'd' and a soft 'z' sound)/dulˈsuɾa/

nounB1general
Use 'dulzura' to describe a quality of emotional warmth, sweetness, or gentleness in someone's manner or way of speaking.
A small, fluffy brown rabbit sitting calmly on soft grass while a human hand gently strokes its back, illustrating gentleness.

Examples

La abuela siempre me habla con mucha dulzura.

Grandma always speaks to me with great gentleness (or tenderness).

Su dulzura natural hace que todo el mundo la quiera.

Her natural kindness makes everyone love her.

Necesitamos más dulzura y menos agresividad en el debate.

We need more gentleness and less aggression in the debate.

Often Paired with Prepositions

When describing how someone acts, 'dulzura' often follows prepositions like 'con' (with) or 'de' (of): 'con dulzura' means 'gently'.

Cariño vs. Dulzura

Learners often confuse 'cariño' and 'dulzura' by using 'cariño' to describe a person's gentle manner. Remember, 'cariño' is the affection *you feel*, while 'dulzura' is the gentle quality *they exhibit*.

Related Translations

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