solos
“solos” means “alone” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
alone, by themselves
Also: solitary
📝 In Action
Los niños se quedaron solos en casa mientras sus padres salían.
A1The children stayed home alone while their parents went out.
Estuvimos solos en la playa toda la tarde. ¡Qué tranquilidad!
A2We were alone on the beach all afternoon. What tranquility!
Ellos prefieren trabajar solos; no les gusta el trabajo en equipo.
B1They prefer to work by themselves; they don't like teamwork.
solos
Also: individual parts
📝 In Action
Los solos de batería fueron impresionantes en el concierto de anoche.
B1The drum solos were impressive at last night's concert.
En la coreografía, cada bailarín hizo un momento de solos improvisados.
B2In the choreography, each dancer did a moment of improvised solos.
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: solos
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses 'solos' as an adjective?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
'Solos' comes directly from the Latin word *sōlus*, which meant 'alone' or 'only.' It entered Spanish as 'solo,' and 'solos' is simply the plural form. Its meaning in music (a performance by one person) is a direct extension of the core meaning of being singular.
First recorded: Old Spanish (around the 13th century)
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'solos' and 'solamente'?
'Solamente' is an adverb meaning 'only' or 'just.' 'Solos' is usually an adjective meaning 'alone' (masculine plural). While the singular adverb 'solo' (without an accent) can mean 'only,' 'solos' is reserved for describing groups who are by themselves.
Does 'solos' ever take an accent mark?
No. The accented form, 'sólo,' was used historically for the singular adverb meaning 'only' (to distinguish it from the adjective 'solo' meaning 'alone'). Since 'solos' is plural, it never takes an accent mark.