littéralement
/li.te.ʁal.mɑ̃/
The English word 'literally' can be translated into French as littéralement. Wiktionary also lists textuellement and texto.
Meaning: in a literal manner (adv)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| littéralement | /li.te.ʁal.mɑ̃/ |
| textuellement | /tɛk.stɥɛl.mɑ̃/ |
| texto | /tɛk.sto/ |
| mot à mot | /mo.t‿a mo/ /mɔ.t‿a mo/ |
In formal or standard French, littéralement should be used strictly to mean 'in a literal sense' rather than as an intensifier for exaggeration.
Which one should you use?
While littéralement refers to the sense of a word, textuellement is used when referring to the exact, word-for-word reproduction of a text or speech. The forms texto and mot à mot are also available.
How do you pronounce it?
/li.te.ʁal.mɑ̃/. The word has 4 syllables.
Did you know?
- The word mot used in mot à mot comes from the Late Latin muttum, which was an onomatopoeic word meant to imitate the sound of muttering.
- In modern French slang, the abbreviation texto is used to refer to a text message, showing how words can take on entirely new, digital identities.
Examples in context
- Ne prends pas tout si littéralement.Don't take everything so literally.This sentence is useful for advising someone not to take everything so literally using littéralement.Tatoeba #8537539 by Aiji, translation #8343226 by AlanF_US
- Ne le prenez pas aussi littéralement !Don't take it so literally.This sentence is useful for advising someone not to take something so literally using littéralement.Tatoeba #3937994 by sacredceltic, translation #3731430 by CM
- Je ne voulais pas littéralement dire ça.I didn't mean that literally.This sentence is useful for expressing that something was not meant literally using littéralement.Tatoeba #2291765 by sacredceltic, translation #2291175 by CK
- Le bâtiment est littéralement en feu.The building is literally on fire.
- J'ai carrément oublié mon sac à la maison.I literally forgot my bag at home.
- 24 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Hugo are talking about a very crowded train.
- LéaIl y avait littéralement cent personnes dans le wagon.There were literally one hundred people in the carriage.
- HugoC'est impossible, le wagon est trop petit.That's impossible, the carriage is too small.
- LéaJe suis sérieuse, j'ai littéralement compté les gens.I am serious, I literally counted the people.
- HugoC'est incroyable, c'était un cauchemar.That's incredible, it was a nightmare.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “literally” translations and entries littéralement, textuellement, texto, mot à mot, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries littéralement, mot, mot à mot, textuellement, à, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
