Chatting About the Weather in France
Break the ice with neighbours and shopkeepers by talking about the cold, the rain, the heatwave and the forecast.
In France the weather is the safest small-talk topic with neighbours, shopkeepers and colleagues, and you use vous with anyone you don't know well. Météo-France issues colour-coded weather warnings (vigilance jaune, orange, rouge) that the news and your neighbours will mention. Temperatures are always in Celsius, and people usually drop the word « degrés ».
- 1
Il fait beau aujourd'hui, hein ?
Nice weather today, isn't it?
- 2
Qu'est-ce qu'il fait froid ce matin !
It's so cold this morning!
- 3
Il pleut depuis une semaine.
It's been raining for a week.
- 4
Ils ont annoncé de la pluie cet après-midi.
They said it would rain this afternoon.
- 5
Vous avez vu la météo ?
Did you see the forecast?
- 6
Il fait lourd.
It's really muggy.
- 7
Il va y avoir de l'orage.
There's going to be a thunderstorm.
- 8
Prenez un parapluie, au cas où.
Take an umbrella, just in case.
- 9
Je suis trempé !
I'm soaked!
Tip: Use the feminine ending if you're a woman.
- 10
C'est la canicule.
It's a heatwave.
- 11
Il ne fait pas très chaud pour la saison.
It's not very warm for the time of year.
- 12
Ça y est, le printemps est là.
That's it, spring is finally here.
- 13
Ça doit s'améliorer ce week-end.
It's supposed to get better this weekend.
- 14
Quel temps gris !
What a grey day!
- 15
Il y a enfin du soleil.
The sun's finally out.
- 16
Il y a du vent.
It's windy.
- 17
Il fait moins deux.
It's minus two.
Tip: No need to say the unit.
- 18
Je ne supporte pas la chaleur.
I can't stand the heat.
- 19
On est en vigilance orange pour la neige.
We're on an orange warning for snow.
Tip: Météo-France uses yellow, orange and red alert levels.
- 20
Bonne soirée, et restez au sec !
Have a good evening, and stay dry!