Weather is one of the most universal conversation topics — and in French, talking about it requires a special set of impersonal expressions. In this lesson you'll learn the classic French weather phrases using the impersonal subject 'il' (it), which has nothing to do with a person. Lucas messages Camille to ask whether it's worth going outside, and their exchange gives you a rich set of authentic weather descriptions set in Paris. After this lesson you'll never be caught off guard by French small talk about la météo!
Learning tips
- French weather expressions almost all use the impersonal 'il' — a subject that doesn't refer to any person or thing. Think of it as the French equivalent of the English impersonal 'it' in 'it's raining'.
- There are three main patterns: 'il fait + adjective' (il fait beau, il fait chaud, il fait froid), 'il y a + noun' (il y a du vent, il y a du soleil, il y a des nuages), and 'il + verb' (il pleut, il neige). Learn one example from each group and the pattern becomes clear.
- The verb 'pleuvoir' (to rain) — from which 'il pleut' comes — is only ever used in the third person singular. You will never say 'je pleut'!
- Notice that 'le temps' means both 'weather' and 'time' in French. Context always makes the meaning clear: 'Quel temps fait-il ?' = What's the weather like? vs 'Je n'ai pas le temps' = I don't have time.
- Connect weather words to seasons you know: été (summer) → il fait chaud; hiver (winter) → il fait froid / il neige; printemps (spring) → il pleut souvent; automne (autumn) → il y a du vent.
Warm-up & Active Recall
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| sortir | to go out |
| se promener | to go for a walk / to stroll |
| visiter | to visit (a place) |
| découvrir | to discover |
| le week-end | weekend |
| le film | film, movie |
| le concert | concert |
| le musée | museum |
| dehors | outside, outdoors |
| seul | alone |
Dialog
Lucas sends Camille a message wanting to go outside, so they discuss the Paris weather forecast. The dialog models all three weather-expression patterns (il fait, il y a, il pleut/il neige) in a realistic back-and-forth. Notice how Camille references 'la météo' (the weather forecast) and describes the expected afternoon conditions.
Vocabulary
Active words
| Word | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| il fait chaud | /il fɛ ʃo/ | it's hot | Impersonal weather expression. Literally 'it makes hot'. Used for hot weather, not for describing a hot object (which would use 'chaud' as an adjective). |
| il fait froid | /il fɛ fʁwa/ | it's cold | Impersonal weather expression. 'Il fait froid' is the standard phrase for cold weather. |
| il pleut | /il plø/ | it's raining | From the defective verb 'pleuvoir' — only used as 'il pleut' (present) or 'il pleuvait' (imperfect). Never conjugated for other subjects. |
| il fait beau | /il fɛ bo/ | it's nice / the weather is nice | The most common French weather phrase. 'Beau' here is an adjective meaning fine/beautiful. 'Il fait beau' implies sunshine and pleasant conditions. |
| il y a du vent | /il ja dy vɑ̃/ | it's windy | Impersonal expression using 'il y a' + noun. 'Le vent' is the noun for wind. You can also say 'il y a beaucoup de vent' for a strong wind. |
| le soleil | /lə sɔ.lɛj/ | sun | Masculine noun. 'Il y a du soleil' = it's sunny. Also used in 'au soleil' (in the sun) and 'un coup de soleil' (sunburn). |
| la pluie | /la plɥi/ | rain | Feminine noun. 'La pluie' is the noun; 'il pleut' is the verb. 'Sous la pluie' = in the rain. Common in Paris — hence 'un parapluie' (umbrella) is a useful word! |
| la neige | /la nɛʒ/ | snow | Feminine noun. 'La neige' is the noun; 'il neige' is the verb. Snow is relatively rare in Paris (a few days a year at most). |
| le nuage | /lə nɥaʒ/ | cloud | Masculine noun. Plural: 'des nuages'. 'Il y a des nuages' = there are clouds. 'Nuageux' is the adjective (cloudy). |
| le temps | /lə tɑ̃/ | weather; time | Masculine noun. Context determines meaning. 'Quel temps fait-il ?' = What's the weather like? 'Je n'ai pas le temps' = I don't have time. |
Passive words
| Word | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| il neige | /il nɛʒ/ | it's snowing | From the defective verb 'neiger'. Like 'pleuvoir', it is only used as 'il neige' in the third person singular. |
| l' l'orage | /lɔ.ʁaʒ/ | storm, thunderstorm | Masculine noun. 'Il y a un orage' = there's a storm. 'Orageux' = stormy. Common in summer in France. |
| le brouillard | /lə bʁu.jaʁ/ | fog | Masculine noun. 'Il y a du brouillard' = it's foggy. Common in autumn and winter in Paris and along river valleys. |
| la température | /la tɑ̃.pe.ʁa.tyʁ/ | temperature | Feminine noun. 'La température est de vingt degrés' = the temperature is twenty degrees. |
| le degré | /lə də.ɡʁe/ | degree | Masculine noun. 'Il fait vingt degrés' = it's twenty degrees (Celsius — France uses Celsius). |
| la météo | /la me.te.o/ | weather forecast | Feminine noun. Short for 'météorologie'. 'La météo dit que...' = the forecast says that... |
Useful chunks
| Word | Translation |
|---|---|
| quel temps fait-il ? | what's the weather like? |
| il y a du soleil | it's sunny |
| il y a des nuages | there are clouds / it's cloudy |
Grammar: Weather expressions with impersonal 'il' — il fait + adjective, il y a + noun, il pleut/il neige
| Expression | Français | Exemple |
|---|---|---|
| il fait + adj | il fait beau | Il fait beau aujourd'hui. |
| il fait + adj | il fait chaud | Il fait chaud en été. |
| il fait + adj | il fait froid | Il fait froid en hiver. |
| il y a + noun | il y a du vent | Il y a du vent ce soir. |
| il y a + noun | il y a du soleil | Il y a du soleil ce matin. |
| il y a + noun | il y a des nuages | Il y a des nuages aujourd'hui. |
| il + verb | il pleut | Il pleut souvent à Paris. |
| il + verb | il neige | Il neige en décembre. |
French weather expressions use the impersonal subject 'il', which here does not refer to any person or thing — it is simply a grammatical placeholder, just like the English 'it' in 'it's raining'. There are three main construction types. First, 'il fait + adjective': il fait beau (nice), il fait chaud (hot), il fait froid (cold), il fait mauvais (bad weather). Second, 'il y a + noun with partitive or indefinite article': il y a du vent (it's windy), il y a du soleil (it's sunny), il y a des nuages (it's cloudy), il y a un orage (there's a storm). Third, 'il + verb': il pleut (it's raining, from 'pleuvoir'), il neige (it's snowing, from 'neiger'). These verbs — 'pleuvoir' and 'neiger' — are called defective verbs because they only exist in the third person singular. You will never say 'je pleut'. To ask about the weather, use the fixed question: 'Quel temps fait-il ?' — literally 'What weather does it make?' This question form with inverted subject-verb order is one you will encounter constantly in French.
Exercises
Fill in the Blanks
Complete each sentence with the correct French weather word from the lesson.
- Il fait aujourd'hui — je mets un manteau. (froid)(the weather adjective meaning the opposite of hot)
- Le brille ce matin — quelle belle journée ! (soleil)(the star in the sky that provides daylight)
- Il y a du — je prends mon parapluie. (pluie → vent)(the weather phenomenon that makes you hold an umbrella... wait, it's the other one — moving air)
- Il beaucoup en automne à Paris. (pleut)(the weather verb for water falling from clouds)
- La tombe en décembre et en janvier. (neige)(the white stuff that falls in winter)
Grammar Application
Fill in each blank with the correct weather expression: 'il fait', 'il y a', or 'il pleut'.
- beau ce week-end — allons au parc ! (il fait)(nice weather — il fait + adjective)
- du vent aujourd'hui — ferme la fenêtre ! (il y a)(wind — il y a + noun)
- froid en hiver à Paris. (il fait)(cold weather — il fait + adjective)
- souvent le mardi à Lyon. (il pleut)(rain — il + verb)
- des nuages mais pas de pluie. (il y a)(clouds — il y a + noun)
Translate into French
Translate each English sentence into French using the weather expressions from this lesson.
- What is the weather like today?
- It is hot and sunny this morning.
- It rains a lot in autumn.
- There is wind and clouds today.
- I love snow in winter.
Build Your Own Sentence
Write two French sentences describing the weather where you are today and what you plan to do because of it.
Takeaway
French weather always uses the impersonal 'il' — either 'il fait + adjective', 'il y a + noun', or a defective verb like 'il pleut' or 'il neige' — never a personal subject.