andante

American  

[ahn-dahn-tey, an-dan-tee, ahn-dahn-te] / ɑnˈdɑn teɪ, ænˈdæn ti, ɑnˈdɑn tɛ /

adjective

1. moderately slow and even.

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noun

plural

andantes

1. an andante movement or piece.

andante British  

/ ænˈdænteɪ /

adjective

1. (to be performed) at a moderately slow tempo

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noun

1. a passage or piece to be performed in this manner

Etymology

Origin of andante

1735–45; < Italian: literally, walking, present participle of andare to walk, go ( see -ant); etymology disputed, but often alleged: < Vulgar Latin *ambitare, derivative of Latin ambitus circular motion, roundabout journey ( see ambit); perhaps, alternatively, early Latin borrowing < Gaulish *andā-, akin to Latin pandere to spread (hence, stride); compare passus step, pace (action noun *pand-tu- ), equivalent to Old Irish ēs footprint, track

Explanation

Use the word andante to describe a relatively slow, moderately paced tune. Your piano teacher might tell you to play a piece andante. The word andante, particularly common in classical music, is sometimes described as "at a walking pace." An andante movement in a symphony is faster than adagio but slower than allegro. Like so many musical words describing tempo, andante is Italian, a form of the verb andare, "to go." The Latin root, ambire, means "to go around" or "to go about."

Example Sentences

“I have long been thinking of abandoning these nonsensical terms allegro, andante, adagio, presto,” Beethoven wrote in an 1817 letter to Hofrat von Mosel, “and Mälzel’s metronome gives us the best opportunity to do so.”

From Seattle Times • Feb. 21, 2023

The third and fourth were a showcase of bustling internal mechanics — especially the andante con moto third, in which the violins seem eager to identify as woodwinds.

From Washington Post • Dec. 10, 2022

The second act contains a suite of dances, including an exquisite pas de deux for two unidentified characters, set to the limpid andante from Mendelssohn’s String Symphony No. 9.

From New York Times • Oct. 26, 2018

When directing his own plays, he was routinely heard to use the musical terms piano and fortissimo, andante and allegro.

From The Guardian • Jul. 31, 2014

What wonder that in the midst of laughter the voice breaks with tenderness for the lovable caballero andante!

From Heroic Spain by O'Reilly, Elizabeth Boyle