Softly meanings in French

doucement

Example:

She spoke softly to the children.

Elle a parlé doucement aux enfants.

The music played softly in the background.

La musique jouait doucement en fond.

Usage: informalContext: Used to describe gentle actions, speech, or sounds.

Note: The term 'doucement' is commonly used in everyday conversation and can refer to both tone and volume.

avec douceur

Example:

He touched her hand softly.

Il a touché sa main avec douceur.

She placed the baby down softly.

Elle a déposé le bébé avec douceur.

Usage: formal/informalContext: Used to emphasize a gentle manner or approach, often in a physical context.

Note: This phrase is slightly more formal and is often used in literary or poetic contexts.

tendrement

Example:

He looked at her softly.

Il l'a regardée tendrement.

They kissed softly.

Ils se sont embrassés tendrement.

Usage: informalContext: Typically used in romantic or affectionate scenarios.

Note: This word conveys a sense of tenderness and affection, often used in emotional contexts.

calmement

Example:

She explained the situation softly.

Elle a expliqué la situation calmement.

He answered the questions softly.

Il a répondu aux questions calmement.

Usage: formal/informalContext: Used to describe a calm and composed manner of speaking.

Note: While 'calmement' can mean softly, it emphasizes the calmness more than the volume.

gently

Gently means to do something in a mild or careful manner, often with a soft touch or approach.

Example: She whispered gently to the baby to soothe him to sleep.

Note: Gently implies a sense of carefulness or tenderness in the action.

quietly

Quietly means to do something with little or no noise, in a hushed or subdued manner.

Example: He tiptoed quietly across the room so as not to wake anyone.

Note: Quietly focuses more on the absence of noise rather than the softness of the action.

tenderly

Tenderly means to do something with gentleness, kindness, or affection.

Example: He held her hand tenderly, showing his affection and care for her.

Note: Tenderly emphasizes the emotional aspect of the soft action.

mildly

Mildly means to do something in a gentle or moderate way, without harshness or severity.

Example: She spoke mildly to avoid escalating the argument.

Note: Mildly suggests a moderate or restrained approach rather than a strong or forceful one.

Speak softly

To speak quietly or in a gentle tone.

Example: She spoke softly to the scared child to calm him down.

Note: Softly specifically refers to the volume or tone of speech.

Handle with kid gloves

To handle something carefully or gently, with sensitivity.

Example: He always handles delicate situations with kid gloves, avoiding confrontation.

Note: Kid gloves implies extreme care and gentleness beyond just being soft.

Softly, softly catchy monkey

To proceed cautiously or gently in order to achieve a desired outcome.

Example: The team approached negotiations softly, softly, hoping to win over the client gradually.

Note: This idiom emphasizes a gradual, subtle approach to achieving a goal.

Softly, softly, catchee monkey

To proceed slowly and carefully in order to achieve success.

Example: The coach advised the players to take it softly, softly during the first half of the game.

Note: Similar to the previous idiom, it highlights a careful and gradual strategy.

Land softly

To land or touch down gently and without impact.

Example: The gymnast managed to land softly after a high-flying routine.

Note: Softly here refers to a gentle landing without force or noise.

Whisper sweet nothings

To speak loving or romantic words softly and intimately.

Example: He whispered sweet nothings in her ear to show his affection.

Note: Sweet nothings are tender, affectionate words spoken softly.

Softly-softly approach

To handle a situation with caution, avoiding aggressive or forceful actions.

Example: The teacher took a softly-softly approach to discipline, preferring gentle guidance over strict punishment.

Note: Softly-softly suggests a careful, gentle method of dealing with issues.

Pillow-soft

Describing something very soft and cushiony, like a soft pillow.

Example: The baby's cheeks were pillow-soft to the touch.

Note: It conveys a higher level of softness and comfort compared to just being soft.

Silky

Having a smooth and soft texture like silk.

Example: The fabric of her dress felt silky against her skin.

Note: Focuses on the smooth and luxurious quality of softness, often in reference to textures.

Whisper-like

Resembling a soft or gentle whisper in sound or manner.

Example: Her voice was whisper-like as she sang the lullaby to the baby.

Note: Refers to a softness associated with the quiet and hushed tone of a whisper.

Feather-light

Extremely light and delicate, like the touch of a feather.

Example: The butterfly landed on her hand with a feather-light touch.

Note: Highlights the lightness and delicacy of softness, often suggesting fragility.

Subdued

Being soft or restrained in intensity or emotion.

Example: His voice was subdued as he spoke about the tragic event.

Note: Involves a softness that is subdued or toned down, often associated with a lack of energy or vigor.

She spoke softly to the baby.

Elle a parlé doucement au bébé.

The music played softly in the background.

La musique jouait doucement en arrière-plan.

He touched her face softly.

Il a touché son visage doucement.

Softly - Adverb (Adverb) / Adverb (Adverb)

Lemma: softly

Conjugations

Adverb (Adverb): softly

Syllabification and Stress

softly Contains 1 syllables: soft

Phonetic transcription: ˈsȯft

soft , ˈsȯft (The red syllable is stressed)

The word frequency and importance index indicates how often a word appears in a given language. The smaller the number, the more frequently the word is used. The most frequently used words typically range from about 1 to 4000.

softly: 600 - 700 (Extremely common).

This importance index helps you focus on the most useful words during your language learning process.

Softly