solo
/ˈsolo/
The English phrase 'by myself' is translated into Spanish as solo.
solo is used to express that a person is alone or without other people.
Which one should you use?
While solo refers to being physically alone, the phrase por mi cuenta is used when you want to emphasize that you performed an action without help or assistance (on my own).
How does it change in a sentence?
You can add the pronoun yo before solo (as in yo solo) to add emphasis, stressing that it was specifically 'I' who was alone.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈsolo/
Did you know?
- For decades, Spanish writers used an accent mark on sólo to distinguish 'only' from 'alone'. However, the Royal Spanish Academy officially declared the accent unnecessary in 2011.
- Depending on the gender of the speaker, solo becomes sola. A woman saying she is 'by myself' must change the ending to sola or she is grammatically referring to a man.
- The phrase por mi cuenta is often used in business to mean someone is 'freelancing' or self-employed, moving beyond the meaning of just working without help.
Examples in context
- Fui allí yo solo.I went there by myself.The first sentence is useful for saying you went somewhere by yourself.Tatoeba #8022762 by Seael, translation #5860656 by CK
- Me gusta viajar solo.I like to travel by myself.The second sentence is useful for expressing a preference for traveling alone.Tatoeba #540338 by Shishir, translation #27643 by CK
- No quiero vivir solo.I don't want to live by myself.The third sentence is useful for stating a desire not to live alone.Tatoeba #866862 by ildefonk, translation #256072 by CK
- Prefiero hacerlo por mí mismo/a, gracias.I prefer to do it by myself, thank you.
- Decidí viajar sin compañía.I decided to travel by myself.
- Resolví el problema en solitario.I solved the problem by myself.
- Prefiero salir solo/a esta noche.I prefer to go out by myself tonight.
- Voy a hacerlo por mi cuenta.I'm going to do it on my own.
- 56 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
María and Daniel are talking at a café about a recent trip.
- María¿Fuiste a la montaña solo?Did you go to the mountain by yourself?
- DanielSí, estuve solo todo el fin de semana.Yes, I was alone all weekend.
- MaríaParece que te gusta estar solo.It seems you like being by yourself.
- DanielA veces es bueno estar solo.Sometimes it is good to be alone.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry solo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
