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doucement

gently

adverb doos-MAHN Less Common

Also means

slowly

Usage Note

Doucement derives from the adjective doux/douce (soft, gentle) and carries the double sense of doing something gently and doing it slowly or quietly. As a standalone exclamation, doucement! means 'easy!' or 'take it easy!' It can modify verbs of motion, touch, or speech: parler doucement (to speak softly).

Examples

"Elle a fermé la porte doucement."

Natural Translation

She closed the door gently.

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