Meaning
tender, soft
- affectionate, sweet
In a sentence
La carne era molto tenera e saporita.
The meat was very tender and tasty.
Che cane tenero, posso accarezzarlo?
What a cute dog, can I pet him?
Ieri sei stato molto tenero con tua sorella.
Yesterday you were very kind with your sister.
Word forms (4)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| tenero | masculine · singular |
| tenera | feminine · singular |
| teneri | masculine · plural |
| tenere | feminine · plural |
Usage notes
- Use tenero for food texture, emotional warmth, or something endearing. For physical softness of objects, morbido is often more natural.
- With people, tenero usually means sweet or gentle, not weak. Debole or fragile cover weakness or vulnerability.
- For babies, animals, or moments, tenero often overlaps with cute. Carino is broader and more neutral in everyday speech.