seul
/sœl/
In French, 'alone' is translated as seul.
seul is used to describe being by oneself. It can function as an adjective or as an adverb meaning 'without company'. Depending on the context, seul can also mean 'only', referring to being the sole person or thing in a particular situation.
Meaning: by oneself (adj)
Which one should you use?
Note that seul can be ambiguous. It may mean 'alone' (without other people) or 'only' (the sole one), so pay attention to the surrounding context.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of the adjective must agree in gender and number with the person it describes. Use seul for a man, seule for a woman, seuls for a group of men or a mixed group and seules for a group of women.
How do you pronounce it?
/sœl/
Did you know?
- The word seul can be used in the expression seul à seul, which describes a private encounter between two people, similar to the English 'tete-a-tete'.
- The phrase tout seul can be used to mean 'all by myself' in the sense of having achieved something without any help, regardless of whether other people were physically present.
- The word seul has a close relative in English, the musical term 'solo', which was borrowed from Italian rather than through French.
Examples in context
- Tu vis seul ?Do you live alone?This sentence uses seul to ask if someone lives by themselves.Tatoeba #8685371 by Julien_PDC, translation #697411 by Eldad
- Il a agi seul.He acted alone.This sentence uses seul to describe someone acting without others.Tatoeba #12211252 by lbdx, translation #8477624 by CH
- Tu viens seul ?Are you coming alone?This sentence uses seul to ask if someone is traveling or arriving without company.Tatoeba #10630281 by felix63, translation #10610754 by sundown
- Je préfère travailler seul(e).I prefer to work alone.
- Je suis sorti(e) tout seul(e) hier soir.I went out all alone last night.
- Je me sens toute seule sans mes amis.I feel all alone without my friends.
- On sort en solo ce soir?Are we going out solo tonight?
- 1331 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nathan and Léa are talking about their weekend plans.
- NathanJe vais au cinéma seul samedi.I am going to the cinema alone on Saturday.
- LéaPourquoi tu ne veux pas venir avec moi ?Why don't you want to come with me?
- NathanJ'ai envie d'être seul un peu.I feel like being alone for a bit.
- LéaJe comprends, profite bien de ton film.I understand, enjoy your movie.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “alone” translations and entries seul, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries seul, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
