Weather Descriptions

Why This Matters

The French love talking about the weather — it's the perfect opener for any conversation. Whether you're chatting with a neighbour, watching a French weather forecast, or just trying to decide whether to pack an umbrella, today's vocabulary will serve you every single day.

🦝 Remy says: "The magic phrase is 'Quel temps fait-il ?' — literally 'What weather does it make?' French treats the weather as something the sky does, not just something that is. Once you feel that, the expressions will stick!"

Asking About the Weather

Quel temps fait-il ? [kel tom fay-teel] — What's the weather like? Il fait quel temps ? [eel fay kel tom] — What's the weather? (informal)

Core Weather Expressions

French uses two main structures for weather: Il fait... and Il y a...

Il fait... (It makes / It is...)

| French | Pronunciation | English | |

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| | Il fait beau | [eel fay boh] | It's nice / sunny | | Il fait mauvais | [eel fay moh-vay] | It's bad weather | | Il fait chaud | [eel fay shoh] | It's hot | | Il fait froid | [eel fay frwah] | It's cold | | Il fait doux | [eel fay doo] | It's mild | | Il fait frais | [eel fay fray] | It's cool |

Il y a... (There is / There are...)

| French | Pronunciation | English | |

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| | Il y a du soleil | [eel ee ah doo so-lay] | It's sunny (there is sun) | | Il y a du vent | [eel ee ah doo von] | It's windy | | Il y a des nuages | [eel ee ah day noo-azh] | It's cloudy | | Il y a du brouillard | [eel ee ah doo broo-yar] | It's foggy |

Verbs for Precipitation

| French | Pronunciation | English | |

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| | Il pleut | [eel pluh] | It's raining | | Il neige | [eel nezh] | It's snowing | | Il grêle | [eel grel] | It's hailing |

Talking About Temperature

France uses Celsius. To give a temperature: Il fait 22 degrés. [eel fay vaN-duh duh-gray] — It's 22 degrees.

Quick reference:

• 0°C = freezing
• 10°C = cool
• 20°C = comfortable
• 30°C = hot

🦝 Remy says: "A quick trick — 'Il pleut' sounds like 'eel pluh', almost like a sad little 'plop'. Perfect for rainy days when you want to feel dramatic about the weather!"

📝 Exercise 1 — Fill in the Blank

Complete each sentence with the right weather expression.

1. En été, ______ souvent chaud. (It's often hot)
2. Il ______ en décembre dans les montagnes. (It snows)
3. Il y a ______ — je ne vois pas le soleil. (clouds)
4. ______ quel temps fait-il aujourd'hui ? → Il ______ beau. (It's nice)
5. Mets ton manteau — il ______ froid ! (It's cold)

✅ Answers: 1. il fait  |  2. neige  |  3. des nuages  |  4. Il fait  |  5. fait

📝 Exercise 2 — Make a Sentence

1. Say that in spring it's mild and sunny. → Au printemps, il fait doux et il y a du soleil.

2. Say that today it's raining and cold. → Aujourd'hui, il pleut et il fait froid.

3. Say that it's 15 degrees and cloudy. → Il fait 15 degrés et il y a des nuages.

📝 Exercise 3 — Match the Description

Match each French sentence to its English meaning.

1. Il neige beaucoup. → It's snowing a lot.
2. Il fait très chaud. → It's very hot.
3. Il y a du brouillard. → It's foggy.
4. Il fait beau aujourd'hui. → The weather is nice today.
5. Il y a du vent ce matin. → It's windy this morning.

🎯 Today's Challenge

Check the French weather forecast for Paris today — search "météo Paris" — and read the forecast aloud in French. Try to say at least three things: the temperature, the sky conditions, and whether it's raining or sunny.

⭐ Key Takeaways

• Il fait... covers temperature and general conditions (chaud, froid, beau, mauvais).
• Il y a... describes visible conditions (soleil, vent, nuages, brouillard).
• Il pleut / Il neige are standalone verbs — no subject noun needed.