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How to Say ‘Without you my life is just a set’ in French

Sans toi ma vie n'est qu'un décor

sahn twah mah vee neh eh k uhn day-kor

[sahn twah mah vee neh eh k uhn day-kor]

💬 Usage Tip: Ne ... qu' means only/just: ma vie n'est qu'un décor = my life is only just a set. Qu' cannot stand alone here; it is tied to the negative pattern with ne.

Phrase Breakdown

Sans

[sahn]

Without

Used for expressing the absence of something or someone.

Example

Sans toi, rien n'est pareil.

Without you, nothing is the same.

toi

[twah]

you

Referring to the person or people someone is addressing.

Example

Je ne peux pas vivre sans toi.

I cannot live without you.

[mah]

Used to indicate possession by the speaker.

Example

Ma maison est ton refuge.

My house is your refuge.

vie

[vee]

life

The existence of an individual human being or animal.

Example

Ma vie sans couleur est fade.

My life without color is dull.

[neh]

Used to represent the third person singular of 'be'.

Example

Elle est unique dans son genre.

She is one of a kind.

est

[eh]

only

Used to express that there is no one or nothing except the person or thing mentioned.

Example

C'est qu'un rêve.

It's only a dream.

qu'

[k]

just

In this context, used to mean nothing more than.

Example

Il n'est qu'un enfant.

He is just a child.

[uhn]

The indefinite article used before words beginning with a vowel sound.

Example

Un ami viendra demain.

A friend will come tomorrow.

décor

[day-kor]

decor

The furnishings of a room or stage set.

Example

La pièce est un décor magnifique.

The room is a magnificent decor.

Guides for French learners

Ordering in French: Cafés, Bakeries and Restaurants (with Menu Vocabulary)How to order in French at a café, a bakery and a restaurant: the phrases, the questions staff ask, and the menu and food vocabulary to understand the answers.Hello in French: Greetings, Good Evening and How to Answer "How Are You?"How to say hello in French, when to switch to good evening, how to ask how are you and what to answer, with tu vs vous and native audio.

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