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/ |
littéralement is used to mean "in a literal manner". In informal speech, similar to English, it is increasingly used as an intensifier to express exaggeration, even when the statement is not literally true.
Which one should you use?
While littéralement is used for general literal meaning, textuellement is used specifically when referring to the exact wording of a text or a quote.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /li.te.ʁal.mɑ̃/ and has 4 syllables.
Did you know?
- The word mot in the phrase mot à mot comes from the Late Latin muttum, which meant a 'muttering sound' and was onomatopoeic in origin.
- In formal French writing, using littéralement as an intensifier for exaggeration is often viewed as an Anglicism and is discouraged by purists.
- In French, if you want to say something was translated 'word for word', you use the idiomatic expression mot à mot rather than using the adverb littéralement.
Examples in context
- Ne prends pas tout si littéralement.Don't take everything so literally.This sentence is useful for the form littéralement.Tatoeba #8537539 by Aiji, translation #8343226 by AlanF_US
- Ne le prenez pas aussi littéralement !Don't take it so literally.Tatoeba #3937994 by sacredceltic, translation #3731430 by CM
- Je ne voulais pas littéralement dire ça.I didn't mean that literally.Tatoeba #2291765 by sacredceltic, translation #2291175 by CK
- Cette phrase signifie littéralement 'être sur un petit nuage'.This phrase literally means 'to be on a little cloud'.
- Le mot 'bleu' au sens propre signifie une couleur primaire.The word 'blue' in the literal sense means a primary color.
- Il a récité textuellement le poème de Victor Hugo.He recited Victor Hugo's poem verbatim.
- Il a carrément sauté de joie quand il a entendu la nouvelle.He totally jumped for joy when he heard the news.
- Elle suit les instructions à la lettre.She follows the instructions to the letter.
- 24 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Lucas are discussing a book Emma just read.
- EmmaLe personnage est littéralement un fantôme.The character is literally a ghost.
- LucasTu exagères un peu, non ?You're exaggerating a bit, aren't you?
- EmmaNon, il est littéralement invisible !No, he is literally invisible!
- LucasD'accord, je vois le genre.Okay, I see what you mean.
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.
