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Learn Weather Vocabulary in French (A1-A2 Level)
Difficulty:A1 / A2
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November 10, 2024
11/10/2024
Hello everyone! In this article, we’ll explore simple expressions and useful vocabulary to describe the weather. Soon, you’ll be able to talk about rain or shine with no trouble at all!
Weather Expressions: Using Faire and Avoir
In French, there are two main ways to describe the weather: using "il fait" followed by an adjective or using "il y a" followed by a noun. Here are some examples to help you understand.
• Il fait beau: when the weather is pleasant and sunny.
• Il fait mauvais: for gray or rainy weather.
• Il y a du soleil: the sun is shining.
• Il y a des nuages: the sky is partially or fully covered with clouds.
Using these expressions, you’ll be able to easily describe the weather!
Describing the Sky and Temperature
To go further, you can describe the sky and temperatures in more detail. Here are some common expressions:
• Le ciel est bleu: The sky is clear and blue.
• Le ciel est gris or le ciel est couvert: The sky is filled with clouds, and there is no visible sun.
For temperatures, you can say:
• Il fait chaud: The temperature is high, like in summer.
• Il fait froid: It’s very chilly, often in winter.
• Il fait doux: A pleasant temperature, neither too hot nor too cold.
• Il fait frais: A bit cooler, often in the morning or fall.
Specific Weather Phenomena
In French, specific verbs are used to describe weather phenomena. For example:
• Il pleut: Verb pleuvoir. Rain is falling.
• Il neige: Verb neiger. Snow is falling from the sky.
• Il y a du vent: To indicate it is windy.
• Il y a du brouillard: Fog is present and makes visibility difficult.
• Il y a un orage: Often with éclairs and tonnerre.
How to Ask About the Weather
In French, there are different ways to ask about the weather. Here are a few examples:
• Il fait quel temps ? : A simple and very common form.
• Quel temps fait-il ? : More formal.
• Quelle est la météo aujourd'hui ? : Perfect for getting details about the current weather.
Idiomatic Expressions Related to Weather
The French language is full of idiomatic expressions related to the weather. Here are a few:
• Il pleut des cordes: It’s raining heavily, as if ropes were falling from the sky.
• Il fait un temps de chien: The weather is really bad.
• Il fait un froid de canard: It’s very cold.
These expressions add a touch of color to your descriptions and are very common in everyday language. Try using them the next time you talk about the weather!
Vocabulary Recap
Here is a recap of all the vocabulary learned in this article:
 |  |
|---|---|
| un beau temps | nice weather |
| un mauvais temps | bad weather |
| chaud | hot |
| froid | cold |
| doux | mild |
| frais | cool |
| un ciel dégagé | clear sky |
| gris | gray |
| couvert | overcast |
| le vent | wind |
| un orage | a storm |
| le tonnerre | thunder |
| la pluie | rain |
| la neige | snow |
| un éclair | a lightning bolt |
| pleuvoir | to rain |
| neiger | to snow |
| il pleut des cordes | it's raining cats and dogs |
| un temps de chien | awful weather |
| un froid de canard | freezing cold |
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Conclusion and Call to Action
We’ve covered a lot of vocabulary today, from simple expressions like "il fait beau" to more advanced phrases like "il pleut des cordes". To really master these expressions, it’s essential to practice them regularly.
If you want to go even further in your French learning, feel free to follow our structured courses on Udemy.
Good luck with your learning, and see you soon for a new lesson on Start French Now!
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