How to Say "solitary" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “solitary” is “solitario” — use 'solitario' when describing a person or animal that prefers to be alone or is characterized by being alone.
Use 'solitario' when describing a person or animal that prefers to be alone or is characterized by being alone.
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Use 'solos' (or 'sola', 'solos', 'solas' depending on gender and number) when referring to people or things that are left without company or assistance in a specific situation.
Learn more →so-li-TA-riosoliˈtaɾjo
Examples
Mi gato es muy solitario y no le gustan otros animales.
My cat is very solitary and doesn't like other animals.
Después de que se fueron todos, se sintió muy solitario.
After everyone left, he felt very lonely.
Viven en una casa solitaria en la cima de la montaña.
They live in a secluded house on the top of the mountain.
Adjective Agreement
Like many Spanish descriptions, 'solitario' must change its ending to match the thing it describes. Use 'solitaria' for feminine things (like 'la casa solitaria') and 'solitarios' or 'solitarias' for plurals.
SOH-lohsˈso.los
Examples
Los niños se quedaron solos en casa mientras sus padres salían.
The children stayed home alone while their parents went out.
Estuvimos solos en la playa toda la tarde. ¡Qué tranquilidad!
We were alone on the beach all afternoon. What tranquility!
Ellos prefieren trabajar solos; no les gusta el trabajo en equipo.
They prefer to work by themselves; they don't like teamwork.
Adjective Agreement
As an adjective, 'solos' must match the people or things it describes in number (plural) and gender (masculine or a mixed group).
Ser vs. Estar
We usually use 'estar' (like 'estuvieron solos') because being 'alone' is typically a temporary state or current condition, unlike a permanent personality trait.
Using the wrong gender
Mistake: “Las chicas estaban *solos*.”
Correction: Las chicas estaban *solas*. (Match feminine plural subjects with the 'as' ending.)
Solitario vs. Solos
The most common mistake is using 'solitario' when you mean that someone or something was left alone in a particular instance. Remember, 'solitario' describes a personality or tendency, while 'solos' describes a state of being alone at a given time.
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