Le Temps
The ability to talk idly about the weather is one of life's necessities - whether you're in London or Lille. Be it a stop-gap to to a more pressing topic with a friend or family member, a water-cooler chat with a colleague before a long day at work, or to a total stranger at the bus-stop, talking about the weather is a great way of breaking the ice.
Our French weather guide below will ensure you'll never stumble at the first hurdle. One should note (as touched on in our sayings with avoir section), the French do not describe the weather using the verb être; instead they use the impersonal verb faire. And for the week that's in it (thanks, Eyjafjallajokull!), ash clouds are nuages de cendres.
Weather | Le Temps
| English | French | |
| how's the weather? | quel temps fait-il ? Il fait quel temps ? |
|
| is it (bad)? | Est-ce qu'il fait (mauvais)? | |
| it is... | il fait... | |
| it will be... | il fera... / il va faire... | |
| it was... | il a fait... | |
| the weather is... | le temps est... | |
| the temperature is 16 degrees | la température est 16 degrés |
Beau | Nice
| English | French | |
| hot | il fait chaud | |
| nice out | il fait beau | |
| sunny | if fait du soleil | |
| calm | il fait calme | |
| humid | il fait humide / Il y a de l'humidité | |
| the sky is clear | le ciel est dégagé | |
| the sun is shining | le soleil brille |
Le Temps Pluvieux | Wet Weather
| English | French | |
| it's raining it's going to rain |
il pleut il va pleuvoir |
|
| drizzle | il fait du bruine | |
| it's pouring/lashing | il pleut à verse |
Le Temps Froid | Cold Weather
| English | French | |
| cold | il fait froid | |
| cool | il fait frais | |
| hail | grêle | |
| frosty | gelée | |
| It's snowing | il neige | |
| it's freezing | il gèle |
Le Temps Venteux et Nuageux | Windy and Cloudy Weather
| English | French | |
| cloudy | Il y a des nuages | |
| the sky is overcast | le ciel est couvert | |
| foggy | il fait du brouillard | |
| a mist / light fog | une brume legère | |
| the wind blows | le vent souffle | |
| windy | il fait du vent | |
| gusty | vent à rafales | |
| gale warning | avis de coup de vent |
Le Temps Extrême | Extreme Weather
| English | French | |
| stormy / there's a storm | orageux / il y a un orage | |
| lightening / flash | la foudre / l'éclair | |
| thunder | le tonnerre | |
| pressure | pression |
