French Conversation · Level 47
73 words
French word
soudain
Pronunciation
IPA/sudɛ̃/
Meaning
- adverbsuddenly
Example
Elle a soudain fermé la porte.
She suddenly closed the door.
More examples
La musique s'est soudain arrêtée.
The music suddenly stopped.
Core concept
A normal action is interrupted by an unexpected instant, and what happens next begins at once.
Common phrases
soudain fermer la porte
suddenly close the door
soudain s'arrêter
suddenly stop
Similar words
tout à coup: Describes an event occurring suddenly and without any warning, in a conversational tone.
brusquement: Describes an action or movement carried out suddenly, sharply, and with force.
subitement: Describes a state or situation changing suddenly within a short time.
Definition in French
Sans prévenir, immédiatement et de façon inattendue, souvent employé pour décrire un changement brusque.
Word origin
French soudain descends from Old French soudain, from Latin subitaneus, which is related to subitus and means sudden or unforeseen.
Usage tips
- Soudain is invariable as an adverb, unlike the adjective soudain, which changes to soudaine in the feminine.
Opposites
- lentementslowlyadverb
- progressivementgraduallyadverb
Related words
- soudainementsuddenlyadverb
- soudainetésuddennessnoun