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French Phrase

J'arrive pas à en choisir un seul.

/ʒaʁiv pa a ɑ̃ ʃwaziʁ œ̃ səl/
Meaning"I can't choose just one."
💡

Meaning

I can’t manage to pick just one (of the options). The sentence is informal, dropping the *ne* that would appear in a written or formal context.

🎯

When to use

Use this phrase when you are faced with several choices—books, movies, dishes, etc.—and you feel unable to decide on a single one, especially in casual conversation with friends or family.

✦Grammar Breakdown

J'arrivepasàenchoisirunseul

1

Ne...pas omission

In spoken French the negative particle *ne* is often dropped, especially after verbs like *arriver*. The formal form is *Je n'arrive pas*.

2

arriver à + infinitif

*Arriver à* means “to manage to” or “to be able to”. It is followed by an infinitive verb.

3

Pronoun *en*

*En* replaces a noun introduced by *de* or a partitive idea, here referring to “of them” (the things you could choose).

4

un seul

*Un seul* means “only one”. The adjective *seul* agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies.

🗨In Conversation

A

Il y a tant de plats sur le menu, lequel tu veux?

There are so many dishes on the menu, which one do you want?

J'arrive pas à en choisir un seul.

I can’t pick just one.

B

✕Common Mistakes

  • Je arrive pas à en choisir un seul.

    The verb must be contracted after the pronoun *je*: *J'arrive*.

  • J'arrive pas en choisir un seul.

    The *pas* must stay with the verb *arriver*; do not separate it from the infinitive.

  • J'arrive pas à choisir un seul.

    If the thing you’re choosing isn’t previously mentioned, omit *en* and say *choisir un seul*.

↔Alternatives

  • Je n'arrive pas à en choisir un seul.

    I can't manage to choose just one.

  • Je ne sais pas lequel choisir.

    I don't know which one to choose.

  • Je ne peux pas en choisir qu'un.

    I can't choose only one of them.

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Cultural Tip

In everyday spoken French, especially among younger speakers, the *ne* in negative constructions is frequently omitted. While perfectly natural in conversation, keep the *ne* in formal writing or when you want to sound more polished. Also, the construction *arriver à + infinitif* is a handy way to express ability or difficulty.