célibataire
/se.li.ba.tɛʁ/feminine, masculine
In French, 'single' as a person who is not married is célibataire.
célibataire is used to describe a person's marital or relationship status. As a noun or adjective describing a person, it is often preceded by the verb être (to be).
Meaning: one who is not married (noun)
Which one should you use?
While seul can mean being alone or solitary, célibataire specifically refers to one's status regarding marriage or relationships.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
célibataire is an epicene adjective, meaning it has the same form for both masculine and feminine subjects.
How do you pronounce it?
/se.li.ba.tɛʁ/
Did you know?
- In some regional variations of French, particularly in older texts, a person who remained célibataire might be referred to as un vieux garçon for a man or une vieille fille for a woman.
- If a French person says they are célibataire endurci, they are saying they are 'hardened' or 'die-hard' single, implying they have no intention of ever changing their status.
- In old French literature, the term was often used with a religious connotation to describe those who took vows of celibacy, rather than just people who chose not to marry.
Examples in context
- Elle est mère célibataire.She's a single mother.This sentence is useful for showing how to use célibataire to describe a single mother.Tatoeba #1883845 by sacredceltic, translation #1883029 by Spamster
- Il est encore célibataire.He's still single.This sentence is useful for describing someone who remains single.Tatoeba #2186859 by sacredceltic, translation #2182720 by Hybrid
- Tom n'est pas célibataire.Tom isn't single.This sentence is useful for stating that someone is not single.Tatoeba #13329373 by genes1s, translation #8951456 by CK
- Je suis célibataire.I am single.
- Elle est célibataire.She is single.
- Elle est en mode célib.She's in single mode.
- 87 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing their dating lives at a cafe.
- LucasEst-ce que tu es célibataire en ce moment ?Are you single at the moment?
- EmmaOui, je suis célibataire et très heureuse ainsi.Yes, I am single and very happy this way.
- LucasMoi aussi, je suis célibataire depuis un an.Me too, I have been single for a year.
- EmmaC'est une bonne période pour se retrouver.It is a good time to find oneself.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “single” translations and entries célibataire, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
