dolce far niente

English

Dolce Far Niente by John William Godward, 1897

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian dolce far niente (literally “sweet doing nothing, sweet idleness”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˌdɒltʃeɪ ˌfɑː nɪˈɛnteɪ/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˌdoʊltʃeɪ ˌfɑɹ niˈɛnteɪ/, /ˌdoʊltʃi ˌfɑɹ niˈɛnti/
• Rhymes: -ɛnti
• Hyphenation: dol‧ce far nien‧te

Noun

dolce far niente (uncountable)

1. Sheer indulgent relaxation and blissful laziness, the enjoyment of idleness.
   • 1882, W.S. Gilbert, Iolanthe

     This gentleman is seen, / With a maid of seventeeen, / A-taking of his dolce far niente; / And wonders he'd achieve, / For he asks us to believe / She's his mother—and he's nearly five-and-twenty!

   • 1890, J.W. Collins, “Society proceedings of the Colorado State Medical Society”, in The Omaha Clinic‎^[1], volume 3, number 5, retrieved 2021-03-20, page 131:

     We should so organize our rank and mobilize our forces that our influence may not be dissipated before the advancing hosts of quackery and ignorance. This we can do effectively if only the wise and successful ones among our leaders can be induced to forgo the dolce far niente of the noontime of their lives.

Related terms

• dolce vita
• dulcet
• billet-doux

Translations

enjoyment of idleness

• Arabic: دُولْتْشِي فَار نْيِنْتِي‎ m (dūltšī fār nyintī)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 無所事事的快樂／无所事事的快乐 (wúsuǒshìshì de kuàilè)

• Dutch: dolce far niente (nl) n
• Estonian: dolce far niente (et)
• French: farniente (fr) m
• German: Dolcefarniente (de) n, Nichtstun (de) n, Muße (de) f
• Greek: ντόλτσε φαρ νιέντε n (dóltse far niénte)
• Italian: dolce far niente m
• Japanese: 寝食い (ねぐい, negui), 徒食 (としょく, toshoku)
• Korean: 돌체 파르 니엔테 (dolche pareu niente), ^{(please verify)} 도식 (dosik)
• Kurdish:

  Northern Kurdish: rehaweta şirîn f

• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: dolce far niente (no)

• Polish: błogie lenistwo m
• Portuguese: dolce far niente m
• Romanian: farniente (ro) n
• Russian: до́льче фар ние́нте n (dólʹče far nijénte)
• Spanish: dolce far niente (es) m
• Swedish: behaglig sysslolöshet c, dolce far niente (sv) c
• Tamil: மகிழ்ச்சியான சோம்பேறித்தனம் (makiḻcciyāṉa cōmpēṟittaṉam), இன்ப ஓய்வு (iṉpa ōyvu)

Italian

Etymology

Literally, “sweet doing nothing, sweet idleness”.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdol.t͡ʃe ˈfar ˈnjɛn.te/
• Hyphenation: dól‧ce‧fàr‧nièn‧te

Noun

dolce far niente m (uncountable)

1. dolce far niente (enjoyment of idleness)

   Synonym: ozio

Related terms

• dolce vita