j'ai appris tout seul
To say "I taught myself" in French, use j'ai appris tout seul.
This phrase is used when someone learns a skill or subject on their own without a teacher.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase j'ai appris tout seul literally translates to "I have learned all alone". This is because the French verb apprendre (to learn) is used instead of a direct equivalent for 'to teach oneself'.
Which one should you use?
While j'ai appris tout seul is the standard way to express this, using en autodidacte is a more formal way to say one is self-taught.
How does it change in a sentence?
If the speaker is female, the word seul must change to seule to agree with the subject, becoming j'ai appris toute seule.
Did you know?
- In French, the verb apprendre is used for both 'to learn' and 'to teach'. The meaning depends entirely on whether the speaker is receiving or giving the knowledge.
- The French word appris is a distant relative of the English word 'apprehend'. Both come from the Latin root meaning 'to seize', suggesting that learning is a way of grasping an idea.
- The word tout in tout seul is used here for emphasis to mean 'completely' or 'entirely'. Without it, seul simply means 'alone', but adding tout stresses the independence of the learning process.
Examples in context
- J'ai appris tout seul à jouer de la guitare.I taught myself how to play the guitar.
- J'ai appris tout seul à cuisiner des plats italiens.I taught myself how to cook Italian dishes.
- C'est impressionnant, j'ai appris tout seul en un an.It is impressive, I taught myself in one year.
Example conversation
Léa and Lucas are discussing a new hobby over coffee.
- LéaTu as pris des cours de dessin, Lucas ?Did you take drawing classes, Lucas?
- LucasNon, j'ai appris tout seul avec des vidéos.No, I taught myself with videos.
- LéaTu es vraiment doué pour un autodidacte.You are really talented for a self-taught person.
- LucasMerci, c'était beaucoup de travail.Thanks, it was a lot of work.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries appris, j'ai, seul, tout, CC BY-SA 4.0.
