Talking About the Weather in French: Why French Speakers Love 'Faire'
The King of Weather Verbs: Faire
In English, we use "it is" for almost everything related to the weather: "It is sunny," "It is cold," "It is cloudy." If you try to use the French verb être (it is) for these, you will sound very unnatural. Instead, French speakers use the verb faire (to make/do) to describe the state of the atmosphere. Literally, a French person says, "It makes beautiful" or "It makes cold."
The "Il Fait" Formulas
For the vast majority of temperature and conditions, use the structure: Il fait + [adjective].
- Il fait beau. (It's beautiful/nice weather.)
- Il fait chaud. (It's hot.)
- Il fait froid. (It's cold.)
- Il fait mauvais. (It's bad weather.)
When "Il Y A" Enters the Forecast
When you want to talk about specific weather phenomena (things you can see or feel, like wind or sun), you switch to Il y a (there is/are).
- Il y a du soleil. (It's sunny. - Literally: There is some sun.)
- Il y a du vent. (It's windy. - Literally: There is some wind.)
- Il y a des nuages. (It's cloudy. - Literally: There are some clouds.)
Special Verbs: Raining and Snowing
For rain and snow, the French use their own dedicated impersonal verbs. These verbs only exist in the 3rd person singular (it).
- Rain: Il pleut. (It's raining.)
- Snow: Il neige. (It's snowing.)
Note: You can also use the noun versions for a more descriptive sentence: "Il y a de la pluie" (There is some rain).
Adding Intensity
French weather is rarely just "hot" or "cold." To sound more expressive, add these common intensifiers:
- Il fait très chaud. (It's very hot.)
- Il fait assez froid. (It's quite cold.)
- Il fait lourd. (It's humid/muggy.)
- Il fait un temps de chien. (It's miserable weather / "dog weather".)
Want to build exam-ready vocabulary around this topic? Check out our TCF vocabulary lists.