Portuguese · Emotions & Descriptions

"Lonely" in Portuguese: sozinho/a

sozinho/a

Say it: soh-ZEE-nyoo / soh-ZEE-nyahadjective/so.ˈzi.ɲu/, /so.ˈzi.ɲa/

Note: also: solitário/a

Lonely in Portuguese is often sozinho or sozinha in everyday speech. It can mean alone or lonely depending on tone. Solitário/solitária is a clearer lonely/solitary adjective.

Weekend feeling

Fiquei sozinho o sábado inteiro e senti falta de conversa.
I was alone all Saturday and missed conversation.
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How to pronounce sozinho/a

Say it

soh-ZEE-nyoo / soh-ZEE-nyah

/so.ˈzi.ɲu/, /so.ˈzi.ɲa/

soh-ZEE-nyoo / soh-ZEE-nyah. The nh is like ny in canyon.

"Lonely" in Portuguese: quick reference

PortugueseEnglish
sozinhoalone / lonely (masc.)

Everyday default.

sozinhaalone / lonely (fem.)

Feminine form.

me sinto sozinho/aI feel lonely

Emotional reading.

solitário / solitárialonely, solitary

Stronger lonely sense.

sozinho em casahome alone

Neutral alone.

How to use sozinho/a in real life

  1. 1Weekend feeling

    Fiquei sozinho o sábado inteiro e senti falta de conversa.

    I was alone all Saturday and missed conversation.

    Sozinho can imply lonely here.

  2. 2Check-in on a friend

    Você está sozinha hoje? Quer companhia?

    Are you alone today? Want company?

    Sozinha feminine.

  3. 3Travel

    Viajo sozinho, mas não me sinto sozinho na estrada.

    I travel alone, but I don't feel lonely on the road.

    Alone vs lonely contrast.

Mistakes English speakers make with sozinho/a

Incorrect: Ela está sozinho.

Correct: Ela está sozinha.

Agree gender: sozinha for a woman.

Incorrect: Eu me sinto lonely.

Correct: Eu me sinto sozinho. / Eu me sinto sozinha.

Use sozinho/sozinha, not English lonely.

Good to know

Sozinho is extremely common and often just means alone (Estou sozinho em casa). To stress loneliness, Brazilians add me sinto or switch to solitário. Tone and context do a lot of the work.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

A quiet Sunday evening

  1. ChatPal

    Você está sozinho aí? Posso ligar.

    Are you alone there? I can call.

  2. You

    Estou sozinho, mas tudo bem por agora.

    I'm alone, but I'm fine for now.

  3. ChatPal

    Se ficar sozinho demais, a gente marca um café.

    If you get too lonely, we'll set a coffee.

  4. You

    Valeu. Às vezes sozinho também descansa.

    Thanks. Sometimes being alone also rests you.

This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.

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"Lonely" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Lonely" in Portuguese

Sozinho vs solitário?

Sozinho is everyday alone/lonely; solitário leans more solitary/lonely.

How do I say I feel lonely?

Me sinto sozinho/sozinha.

Gender agreement?

Sozinho masculine, sozinha feminine.

Is sozinho always sad?

No—often it just means alone.

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