What Does “Seul“ Mean and How Do You Pronounce It?207

Pronunciation

The French word "seul" is pronounced "sœl" (IPA: /sœl/). It is a homophone of the word "sol" (IPA: /sɔl/), which means "ground" or "soil".

Meaning

"Seul" is an adjective that means "alone" or "only". It can be used to describe a person, place, or thing that is without company or accompaniment. For example:
"Je suis seul à la maison." (I am alone at home.)
"Il habite dans une maison isolée." (He lives in an isolated house.)
"C'est le seul livre que j'ai lu." (This is the only book I have read.)

"Seul" can also be used to express a sense of loneliness or isolation. For example:

"Je me sens seul dans cette ville." (I feel lonely in this city.)
"Il est toujours seul, même lorsqu'il est entouré de gens." (He is always alone, even when he is surrounded by people.)

Usage

"Seul" is a common word in French and can be used in a variety of contexts. It can be used as an adjective, a pronoun, or an adverb.

As an adjective, "seul" is placed before the noun it modifies. For example:
"Un homme seul" (a lonely man)
"Une maison isolée" (an isolated house)
"Le seul livre que j'ai lu" (the only book I have read)

As a pronoun, "seul" means "alone" or "only one". It is used when there is no noun to modify. For example:
"Je suis seul." (I am alone.)
"Il est le seul qui puisse m'aider." (He is the only one who can help me.)

As an adverb, "seul" means "alone" or "only". It is placed after the verb it modifies. For example:
"Il marche seul dans la rue." (He walks alone in the street.)
"Elle mange seule à la table." (She eats alone at the table.)

Conjugation

"Seul" is an invariable adjective, which means that it does not change form to agree with the noun it modifies. However, when used as a pronoun, "seul" can be conjugated to agree with the subject of the sentence.

Here is the conjugation of "seul" as a pronoun:| Person | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | seul | seuls |
| 2nd | seul | seuls |
| 3rd | seul | seuls |

Synonyms and Antonyms

Synonyms:
isolé
solitaire
abandonné
délaissé

Antonyms:
accompagné
entouré
peuplé
habité

2025-02-25

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