French Words to Know: Weather Vocabulary ☀️🌧️❄️
The weather is one of the most common conversation topics — whether you’re meeting someone for the first time or just making small talk.
Learning French weather vocabulary will help you understand forecasts, chat with locals, and describe the world around you.
This guide covers the most useful French words about weather, complete with English translations and example sentences.
🌦️ Basic Weather Words in French
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Le temps – the weather
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La météo – the weather forecast
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Il fait beau – it’s nice (good weather)
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Il fait mauvais – it’s bad (bad weather)
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Il fait chaud – it’s hot
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Il fait froid – it’s cold
👉 Example: Aujourd’hui, il fait beau et chaud.
(Today, the weather is nice and warm.)
☀️ Sun & Heat Vocabulary
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Le soleil – sun
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Ensoleillé – sunny
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La chaleur – heat
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Une canicule – heatwave
👉 Example: L’été, il y a beaucoup de soleil à Nice.
(In summer, there is a lot of sun in Nice.)
🌧️ Rain & Storms Vocabulary
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La pluie – rain
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Il pleut – it’s raining
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Une averse – a shower
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Une tempête – storm
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Un orage – thunderstorm
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Le tonnerre – thunder
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L’éclair – lightning
👉 Example: Il y a un orage ce soir.
(There is a thunderstorm tonight.)
❄️ Cold Weather & Winter Vocabulary
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La neige – snow
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Il neige – it’s snowing
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Un flocon de neige – snowflake
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Le verglas – black ice
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La glace – ice
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Le gel – frost
👉 Example: En hiver, il neige souvent dans les Alpes.
(In winter, it often snows in the Alps.)
🍂 Wind & Other Weather Words
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Le vent – wind
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Il fait du vent – it’s windy
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Un brouillard – fog
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La brume – mist
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Un arc-en-ciel – rainbow
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Le climat – climate
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La saison – season
👉 Example: Après la pluie, il y a souvent un arc-en-ciel.
(After the rain, there is often a rainbow.)
📰 Talking About the Weather in French
Here are some useful everyday phrases:
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Quel temps fait-il ? – What’s the weather like?
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La météo annonce de la pluie. – The forecast says it will rain.
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Il fait un temps magnifique aujourd’hui. – The weather is wonderful today.
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Il fait froid ce matin, prends ton manteau. – It’s cold this morning, take your coat.
🎯 Practice Activity
👉 Try writing 3 sentences in French to describe the weather where you live. For example:
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Aujourd’hui, il fait froid mais ensoleillé.
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Demain, il va pleuvoir toute la journée.
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En été, il fait très chaud et il y a du soleil.
✅ Conclusion
By learning these French weather vocabulary words, you’ll be able to talk about the weather confidently, follow French forecasts, and make natural small talk.
This French vocabulary list about weather is essential for beginners and advanced learners alike.
If you liked this guide, explore more of our French vocabulary lists to expand your knowledge!