soudainement
/su.dɛn.mɑ̃/
The English phrase suddenly is expressed in French as soudainement. Wiktionary also lists tout d'un coup.
Meaning: happening quickly and with little or no warning (adv)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| soudainement | /su.dɛn.mɑ̃/ |
| tout d'un coup | /tu d‿œ̃ ku/ |
These terms are used to describe something happening quickly and with little or no warning.
What does it mean word for word?
The idiomatic phrase tout d'un coup literally translates to 'all of one blow' or 'all at one stroke'.
Which one should you use?
While soudainement is more formal and adverbial, tout d'un coup is a common idiomatic way to say 'all at once' or 'suddenly' in spoken French.
How do you pronounce it?
/su.dɛn.mɑ̃/
Did you know?
- The word coup in tout d'un coup originally comes from the Ancient Greek word kólaphos, which specifically referred to a slap in the face.
- While tout d'un coup means 'suddenly', the word coup is used in dozens of other French idioms to mean a hit, a move, a trick or even a heartbeat.
- In classic French literature, soudain is frequently used as a sentence-starter to create a dramatic cliffhanger, a stylistic choice less common in modern spoken French.
Examples in context
- Tom est apparu soudainement.Tom appeared suddenly.This sentence shows the use of soudainement to describe an appearance.Tatoeba #9254560 by Micsmithel, translation #2235960 by CK
- Il me remarqua soudainement.Suddenly he noticed me.This sentence demonstrates how soudainement can be used to describe an action.Tatoeba #11685531 by Aiji, translation #5171897 by AlanF_US
- Je suis soudainement fatigué.I'm suddenly tired.This sentence illustrates how soudainement can describe a state of being.Tatoeba #5458172 by Aiji, translation #2248266 by CK
- Tout à coup, il a entendu un bruit étrangeSuddenly, he heard a strange noise
- Soudainement, elle a décidé de partirSuddenly, she decided to leave
- Le vent a brusquement changé de directionThe wind suddenly changed direction
- D'un coup, il est parti sans dire au revoirSuddenly, he left without saying goodbye
- Tout d'un coup, il a oublié son propre nomAll of a sudden, he forgot his own name
- Subitement, il s'est mis à pleuvoirSuddenly, it started raining
- Tout à coup, le téléphone a sonné.Suddenly, the phone rang.
- Subitement, il a réalisé qu'il était perdu.Suddenly, he realized he was lost.
- D'un coup, elle a changé d'avis.Suddenly, she changed her mind.
- Tout d'un coup, la lumière s'est éteinte.All of a sudden, the light went out.
- 83 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Manon and Nathan are walking in the park.
- ManonRegarde, le temps a changé soudainement !Look, the weather changed suddenly!
- NathanOui, il commence à pleuvoir.Yes, it is starting to rain.
- ManonJe me sens soudainement très froide.I suddenly feel very cold.
- NathanOn devrait rentrer vite à la maison.We should go back home quickly.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “suddenly” translations and entries soudainement, tout d'un coup, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries coup, soudainement, tout, tout d'un coup, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
