Looking up at the sky in a French-speaking country? The first word you'll probably learn for that fluffy white stuff is un nuage. It's the most common and direct way to say “cloud” in French. But what if you want to describe a sky full of wispy clouds, a dark storm cloud, or even talk about 'cloud' computing?

As your French skills grow, you'll discover that, just like in English, there are many nuanced and specific terms to use. Getting to know them will make your conversations more colorful and precise.

Let's float through 9 different ways to say “cloud” in French!

The standard 'cloud' – un nuage

The most common and standard French word for a 'cloud' in the sky is un nuage. It's the direct equivalent you'll use in most everyday situations.

Nuage is a masculine noun. Therefore, you always say un nuage (a cloud) or le nuage (the cloud). The plural form is des nuages (some clouds) or les nuages (the clouds).

This word primarily refers to the literal water vapor formations you see in the atmosphere. Whether you're talking about the weather, a painting, or just looking up, nuage is the word you need.

Just like in English, nuage is used in figurative expressions. The common idiom être dans les nuages translates directly to 'to be in the clouds' and means to be daydreaming or distracted.

A 'cloud' can also represent a problem or something that spoils a happy situation. For example, you might hear the phrase un nuage à l'horizon (a cloud on the horizon) to signify impending trouble.

For technology and data storage, French speakers often borrow the English word and say le cloud. The official term is l'informatique en nuage (cloud computing), but le cloud is far more common in casual and even professional conversation.

💡 * Le ciel est couvert de nuages aujourd'hui.

• Regarde ce nuage, il a la forme d'un lapin !
• Il est toujours dans les nuages, il n'écoute jamais en classe.
• Je dois sauvegarder mes fichiers sur le cloud.
• L'arrivée de son ex-mari a mis un nuage sur la soirée.

The 'cloud cover' or 'cloudiness' – la nébulosité

The 'cloud cover' or 'cloudiness' – la nébulosité

The French word la nébulosité is a specific, often technical term used to describe the extent to which the sky is covered by clouds. It refers to the state of the sky's cloudiness as a whole, rather than just the presence of individual clouds.

You will most frequently encounter la nébulosité in formal contexts, especially in weather forecasts (la météo). A meteorologist uses this term to provide a precise description of expected sky conditions.

While in everyday conversation you might say, 'Le ciel est nuageux' (The sky is cloudy), a weather report would use the more formal term. For example: 'La nébulosité sera faible le matin mais s'accentuera l'après-midi.' (Cloud cover will be light in the morning but will increase in the afternoon).

The word is directly related to the adjective nébuleux (masculine) or nébuleuse (feminine), which means 'nebulous,' 'hazy,' or 'cloudy.' Recognizing this link can help solidify its meaning in your vocabulary.

It's helpful to know that la nébulosité is a quantifiable concept. In meteorology, it's measured as the fraction of the sky obscured by clouds, often expressed as a percentage or on a scale from 0 to 8 (oktas).

In summary, think of la nébulosité as the scientific or official word for 'cloudiness.' While not essential for a casual chat about the weather, it is a key term for understanding formal weather reports and speaking about meteorology with greater precision.

💡 * La nébulosité augmentera en fin de journée.

• Météo-France annonce une nébulosité variable pour demain.
• Malgré une forte nébulosité, il n'a pas plu.
• Le satellite mesure la nébulosité au-dessus du continent.

The 'mist' or 'haze' – la brume

La brume is the French word for 'mist' or 'haze'. It's a feminine noun (une brume) that describes a light fog where visibility is reduced but not completely obscured. Think of it as the kind of atmospheric moisture you might see in the morning or near the coast.

The key distinction for learners is between la brume (mist) and le brouillard (fog). La brume is a light mist where you can still generally see for a moderate distance (officially, over 1 kilometer). In contrast, le brouillard is a thick, dense fog that severely limits visibility (less than 1 kilometer). If you can still make out the shapes of trees in the distance, it's likely de la brume.

You'll often hear la brume used in weather forecasts or descriptions of a landscape. A common way to say 'it's misty' is Il y a de la brume. You can also use the adjective brumeux (masculine) or brumeuse (feminine), as in un matin brumeux (a misty morning).

Like its English counterparts, brume can also be used figuratively to describe a state of confusion, vagueness, or unclear memory. For instance, someone might talk about les brumes de la mémoire (the mists of memory) to refer to things that are difficult to recall clearly.

💡 * Le matin, une légère brume flottait au-dessus du lac. (In the morning, a light mist was floating above the lake.)

• Attention sur la route, il y a de la brume par endroits. (Be careful on the road, there is mist in places.)
• Ce n'est pas un épais brouillard, c'est juste une brume matinale. (It's not a thick fog, it's just a morning mist.)
• Ses souvenirs de l'événement étaient perdus dans une brume. (His memories of the event were lost in a haze.)

The 'fog' (a cloud on the ground) – le brouillard

The French word for "fog" is le brouillard. This noun is essential for discussing weather, especially in regions known for their misty conditions.

Le brouillard is a masculine noun, which means you will always use masculine articles like le or un with it. For example, you would say un brouillard épais for "a thick fog."

To say "It's foggy" in French, the most common expression is Il y a du brouillard. This phrase literally means "There is some fog" and is a standard way to describe weather conditions.

The related adjective for "foggy" is brouillardeux (masculine) or brouillardeuse (feminine). You can use this to describe a day or a place, such as un matin brouillardeux (a foggy morning).

💡 * Il y a beaucoup de brouillard sur la route ce matin.

• Je n'aime pas conduire quand le brouillard est si épais.
• La ville est souvent dans le brouillard en automne.
• Attention, le brouillard réduit la visibilité.

The 'swarm' or 'dense cloud' – une nuée

Une nuée is a French noun used to describe a large, dense, and often moving group of things. While its literal root relates to clouds (nuage), its most common translation is a "swarm," "horde," or "flock."

This term is frequently used to describe insects or birds, emphasizing their large numbers. You will often hear phrases like une nuée d'insectes (a swarm of insects), une nuée de sauterelles (a plague of locusts), or une nuée d'oiseaux (a flock of birds).

Beyond its literal sense, une nuée is powerfully used metaphorically to describe an overwhelming number of people or abstract things. For instance, you could talk about une nuée de touristes (a horde of tourists) or une nuée de critiques (a flood of criticism).

Remember that nuée is a feminine noun, so you always use une nuée or la nuée. It is almost always followed by the preposition de (or d') to specify what constitutes the swarm, as in une nuée de moustiques.

The word une nuée often carries a slightly negative or overwhelming connotation. It effectively conveys the idea of a chaotic, dense mass of individuals that can be hard to manage or navigate through.

💡 * Une nuée de moustiques nous a attaqués près du lac. (A swarm of mosquitoes attacked us near the lake.)

• Une nuée de journalistes attendait la célébrité à la sortie. (A horde of journalists was waiting for the celebrity at the exit.)
• Dès l'ouverture des portes, une nuée d'enfants s'est précipitée vers les jeux. (As soon as the doors opened, a swarm of children rushed towards the games.)
• Le projet a reçu une nuée de commentaires positifs en ligne. (The project received a flurry of positive comments online.)

The specific 'puffy cloud' – le cumulus

When you want to describe the classic 'puffy cloud' in French, you move beyond the general term un nuage (a cloud). The specific and correct word for these cotton-like formations is le cumulus.

The term cumulus is a direct borrowing from Latin, meaning 'heap' or 'pile.' It's an international scientific term used in meteorology, which is why it's identical in both French and English. This makes it an easy word for learners to recognize and use accurately.

In everyday French, people will most often say un nuage. You would use le cumulus when being more descriptive, specific, or in a slightly more formal or educational context. For example, a weather report or a science lesson would specify cumulus, while a casual remark might just be, 'Il y a beaucoup de nuages aujourd'hui' (There are a lot of clouds today).

Much like in English culture, les cumulus are the quintessential clouds of a beautiful, sunny day. They are associated with fair weather and are often the type of cloud children draw in pictures. While the common idiom is avoir la tête dans les nuages (to have one's head in the clouds), specifying cumulus can paint a more vivid, pleasant picture.

💡 * Regarde ces beaux cumulus blancs qui flottent dans le ciel.

• Le pilote a dit que nous allions voler au-dessus des cumulus.
• En cours de sciences, nous avons appris à différencier un cumulus d'un cirrus.
• J'aime m'allonger sur l'herbe et imaginer des formes dans les cumulus.

The specific 'wispy cloud' – le cirrus

For describing a specific type of thin, wispy cloud found at high altitudes, the French term is le cirrus. This is a scientific term borrowed directly from Latin, used in both meteorology and everyday conversation to identify these feathery cloud formations.

The word cirrus is a masculine noun in French. Therefore, you should always use the masculine article, such as le cirrus (the cirrus cloud) or un cirrus (a cirrus cloud). The plural form remains the same: les cirrus.

Cirrus clouds are often associated with fair weather but can also indicate an approaching weather system. They are composed of ice crystals and are easily recognizable by their delicate, hair-like appearance, sometimes called queues de cheval (horse's tails) in French.

💡 *Regarde ces cirrus dans le ciel ! Ils ressemblent à des plumes. (Look at those cirrus clouds in the sky! They look like feathers.)
*Le pilote a mentionné que nous allions voler au-dessus des cirrus. (The pilot mentioned we would be flying above the cirrus clouds.)
*Un léger cirrus flottait dans le ciel d'azur. (A light cirrus cloud floated in the azure sky.)

The 'cloud of' something (smoke, dust) – un nuage de (fumée, poussière)

The French word for 'cloud' is un nuage. To describe a dense mass of airborne particles, you use the expression un nuage de, which literally means 'a cloud of'. It functions as a collective noun to indicate a large, often obscuring, quantity of something.

This phrase is most frequently paired with words for smoke, dust, or insects. The most common examples you'll encounter are un nuage de fumée (a cloud of smoke) and un nuage de poussière (a cloud of dust). You might also see it used for swarms, like un nuage d'insectes (a cloud of insects).

Remember the grammatical rule for quantities: the phrase un nuage de is always followed by a noun without an article. For instance, you say un nuage de fumée, not un nuage de la fumée. This is similar to other expressions of quantity like beaucoup de or un peu de.

💡 * La vieille voiture a démarré dans un nuage de fumée noire. (The old car started up in a cloud of black smoke.)

• Un nuage de poussière s'est levé quand le cheval a galopé. (A cloud of dust rose when the horse galloped.)
• En été, un nuage de moustiques se forme au-dessus du lac. (In summer, a cloud of mosquitoes forms over the lake.)

1. The Digital Cloud: Le Cloud

To talk about the 'digital cloud' in French, you'll use a word you already know: le cloud. This is a direct borrowing from English, known as an anglicisme, and it's the most common term used in everyday conversation and professional settings.

The word le cloud is a masculine noun in French, so you'll always use the masculine article le or un. It's pronounced almost exactly like the English word 'cloud'. Don't be tempted to use the French word for a weather cloud, le nuage, in this context.

You can use le cloud in the same way you use 'the cloud' in English. It refers to online data storage and services. Common phrases include stocker des fichiers dans le cloud (to store files in the cloud) and le cloud computing (cloud computing).

While le cloud is overwhelmingly popular, there is a more formal, official French term: l'informatique en nuage. However, you will rarely hear this in casual conversation. For all practical purposes, le cloud is the term you need to know and use.

💡 * Je sauvegarde toutes mes photos dans le cloud. (I back up all my photos in the cloud.)

• Notre entreprise utilise le cloud pour le stockage des données. (Our company uses the cloud for data storage.)
• Le cloud a révolutionné la façon dont nous accédons à l'information. (The cloud has revolutionized the way we access information.)
• Tu devrais mettre ce document sur le cloud pour qu'on puisse y travailler ensemble. (You should put this document on the cloud so we can work on it together.)

Are there other ways to say 'cloud' in French?

Are there other ways to say “cloud” in French?

This guide has covered the most essential ways to say “cloud” in French, primarily with un nuage. But French, a language of poets and painters, has many other nuanced terms, from scientific classifications to literary expressions.

For more specific terms, you can search online for phrases like types de nuages en français for meteorology, or le ciel dans la poésie française for more artistic vocabulary.

When you discover a new word for “cloud,” it's always a good idea to check its definition and see how it's used in context. A poetic term like la nue might not fit in a casual conversation about the weather!

Pay close attention when you listen to French weather reports, read French poetry, or look at the titles of French landscape paintings. You’ll be surprised by the rich vocabulary used to describe the sky.

And if you want to explore synonyms or related concepts, the WordReference forum for nuage is an excellent resource where language enthusiasts discuss these subtle differences.

I hope this exploration of the French sky has been useful. To leave you with a final thought, here is a beautiful line from the poet Victor Hugo: Le nuage, c'est le rêve qui flotte sur le sommeil de la terre. (The cloud is the dream that floats over the slumber of the earth.)