Make Your Point > Archived Issues > DOLCE FAR NIENTE
Send Make Your Point issues straight to your inbox.
pronounce
DOLCE FAR NIENTE:
Say it "DOLE chee far nee YEN tee."
To hear it, click here.
connect this word to others:
Oooh, you guys. If you love being lazy, like me, you'll love today's term: dolce far niente, "sweet doing nothing."
Speaking of doing nothing, see if you can recall a term that comes from French and literally means "do-nothing." To be fai___nt is to be lazy, to be idle, to do nothing. Aaaaah.
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
definition:
This phrase is Italian for "sweet doing nothing." That's how we use it in English, too.
In other words, dolce far niente is enjoyable laziness.
grammatical bits:
Part of speech:
It's a phrase that works like a noun: "her dolce far niente;" "I love their dolce far niente."
Other forms:
None
how to use it:
This phrase has been around in print in English since 1814, but it's still rare. It should be pretty clear to most of your readers and listeners, especially if they can see it written down.
So, feel free to use this phrase when you don't mind being a bit formal and fancy.
Talk about someone's dolce far niente, or about a mood or sense or atmosphere of dolce far niente. Or, talk about the dolce far niente of a certain place, time, song, movie, activity, etc.
examples:
"Old men stroll slowly with their hands interlaced behind their backs. Students lean against cars and spend the entire night talking about what they will do that night. There is a pleasant idleness, a sense of dolce far niente, or sweetness of doing nothing, that is raised to a public art form."
— Jason Horowitz, New York Times, 1 May 2020
"Egypt, with all its dolce far niente, was never an idle land for the laborer."
— Charles Dudley Warner, Our Italy, 1891
has this page helped you understand "dolce far niente"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "dolce far niente" without saying "sweet laziness" or "wonderful idleness."
try it out:
Let's check out this scene from The Motor Girls in the Mountains, by Margaret Penrose:
"It may have been the drowsy charm of the day, the soothing murmur of the brook, or the satisfying quality of the lunch, or perhaps a combination of the three, that made the little party under the trees so content to sit still or lie still for a considerable time...
'This is dolce far niente for fair,' murmured Jack lazily.
'I'd agree with you,' drawled Paul, 'if I only knew what you meant. Talk United States.'
'Why, it means something like "the happiness of doing nothing," I believe,' explained Jack."
Sounds pretty nice, right? Talk about a time you, too, indulged in some dolce far niente.
before you review, play:
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
Our game for November is "SpongeBob Shakespeare."
Check out the goofy quote below. Is it from SpongeBob Squarepants, or is it a modern-English version of a quote from Shakespeare?
I'll list the answer at the bottom of each issue. Enjoy!
Try this one today:
"His brains are nice and thick. Like mustard!"
review this word:
A. HARD TIMES.
B. HARD SELLING.
C. HARD-WITTEDNESS.
2. In Vagaries, Axel Munthe wrote, "The morning passes in dolce far niente as a preparation for the exertions of the day... An Arcadian _____ reigns over their whole being, a contemplative _____ is stamped upon their faces."
A. peace .. calm
B. rigidity .. grimace
C. haze .. bewilderment
a final word:
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.
I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From my blog:
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.
Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
This phrase is Italian for "sweet doing nothing." That's how we use it in English, too.
Part of speech:
This phrase has been around in print in English since 1814, but it's still rare. It should be pretty clear to most of your readers and listeners, especially if they can see it written down.
"Old men stroll slowly with their hands interlaced behind their backs. Students lean against cars and spend the entire night talking about what they will do that night. There is a pleasant idleness, a sense of dolce far niente, or sweetness of doing nothing, that is raised to a public art form."
Explain the meaning of "dolce far niente" without saying "sweet laziness" or "wonderful idleness."
Let's check out this scene from The Motor Girls in the Mountains, by Margaret Penrose:
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
|