Talking about the weather is a classic conversation starter, no matter what language you're speaking. In French, you might already know that le temps is the general word for 'weather'. But what if you want to be more specific or sound more like a native speaker?

French has several different words and expressions to describe what's happening in the sky. Whether it's a heatwave, a drizzle, or a beautiful clear day, there's a specific way to talk about it.

Let's explore 9 common and useful ways to say 'weather' in French, so you can chat about the forecast like a pro!

1. The General Term for 'Weather' – Le Temps

The most common and general word for 'weather' in French is le temps. It’s the go-to term you'll hear in everyday conversation and on weather forecasts. If you need to talk about the weather in a general sense, le temps is the word you're looking for.

To ask about the weather, the standard phrase is Quel temps fait-il ?. This literally translates to 'What weather is it making?'. This highlights the common use of the verb faire (to do/make) when discussing general weather conditions.

When describing the weather using le temps, the typical structure is Il fait... followed by an adjective. For example, Il fait beau (It's nice weather/The weather is beautiful) or Il fait mauvais (It's bad weather).

A crucial point for learners is that le temps also means 'time'. This can be a major point of confusion, but context almost always makes the meaning clear. If someone is looking out the window while talking, they are almost certainly discussing the weather.

You can usually tell the difference based on the verbs and phrases used. Phrases like Quel temps fait-il ? or Il fait beau/mauvais are exclusively about weather. In contrast, expressions like avoir le temps (to have time) or passer du temps (to spend time) refer to time. For instance, Je n'ai pas le temps clearly means 'I don't have time,' not 'I don't have weather.'

💡 * Quel temps fait-il aujourd'hui ? (What's the weather like today?)

• Le temps est magnifique pour une promenade. (The weather is magnificent for a walk.)
• Je déteste quand il fait un temps pareil. (I hate when the weather is like this.)
• La météo a annoncé un mauvais temps pour demain. (The weather forecast announced bad weather for tomorrow.)

The weather forecast – la météo

When discussing the weather forecast in French, the primary term you'll use is la météo. This word is fundamental for understanding and talking about predicted weather conditions.

La météo specifically refers to the weather forecast – what you'd see on a news report or a phone app. It's different from le temps, which means 'the weather' in a general, current sense. You use la météo to talk about what the weather will be.

The most common way to ask about the forecast is with the phrase Quelle est la météo pour...? (What's the weather forecast for...?). You can complete the sentence with a day, a date, or a location. For example, Quelle est la météo pour demain ? (What's the forecast for tomorrow?).

When you check la météo, you'll often hear predictions using the future tense or the structure il va + infinitive. Common examples include il va pleuvoir (it's going to rain), il va faire beau (it's going to be nice weather), and il y aura du soleil (there will be sun).

Several verbs are commonly paired with la météo. You can regarder la météo (watch the forecast), écouter la météo (listen to the forecast), or see what the forecast annonce (announces) or prévoit (predicts).

💡 * J'ai regardé la météo avant de partir.

• Quelle est la météo pour Paris ce week-end ?
• La météo annonce de la pluie pour toute la journée.
• Selon la météo, il fera froid demain matin.

1. The standard way to ask 'What's the weather like?' – Quel temps fait-il ?

The most common and standard way to ask about the weather in French is with the phrase Quel temps fait-il ? This is the go-to question you'll hear and use in most everyday situations, from casual chats to more formal inquiries.

Literally, this translates to 'What weather does it make?'. The French use the verb faire (to do/make) to talk about the weather. While it might seem strange to an English speaker, this is a fundamental concept in French weather expressions. The structure Quel temps means 'what weather'.

This question uses a grammatical structure called inversion, where the verb and pronoun are flipped: fait-il instead of il fait. While inversion is often associated with formal French, Quel temps fait-il ? is perfectly normal and widely used in both formal and informal conversations.

For a slightly less formal tone, you could also ask, Quel temps est-ce qu'il fait ? or, more colloquially, simply say Il fait quel temps ? with a rising intonation at the end. However, Quel temps fait-il ? remains the most classic and universally understood form.

💡 * Quel temps fait-il aujourd'hui à Paris ? (What's the weather like in Paris today?)

• Maman, quel temps fait-il dehors ? Je veux aller jouer. (Mom, what's the weather like outside? I want to go play.)
• Je ne sais pas quel temps il fait, je n'ai pas regardé par la fenêtre. (I don't know what the weather is like, I haven't looked out the window.)
• Avant de partir, demande quel temps il fait. (Before leaving, ask what the weather is like.)

1. The classic phrase for 'The weather is nice' – Il fait beau

The most fundamental and widely used expression to describe good weather in French is Il fait beau.

Literally, this translates to 'It makes beautiful.' French uses the impersonal il (it) combined with the verb faire (to do/make) to talk about most weather conditions. So, while it sounds strange in English, it's the standard grammatical structure in French.

Il fait beau is a versatile phrase suitable for any situation, whether you're chatting with a friend or making small talk with a stranger. It generally implies sunshine and pleasant conditions.

To emphasize just how nice the weather is, you can add an adverb like très (very) or vraiment (really). For example, Il fait très beau means 'The weather is very nice.'

💡 * Il fait beau aujourd'hui, allons nous promener ! (The weather is nice today, let's go for a walk!)

• J'adore quand il fait beau au printemps. (I love it when the weather is nice in the spring.)
• Regarde le ciel, il fait vraiment beau. (Look at the sky, the weather is really beautiful.)
• Demain, il fera beau sur toute la France. (Tomorrow, the weather will be nice all over France.)

1. The opposite of nice weather – Il fait mauvais

When the skies turn gray and the weather is unpleasant, the go-to French expression is Il fait mauvais. This literally translates to 'It makes bad,' but it's the standard way to say 'The weather is bad' or 'It's nasty out.'

Just like with Il fait beau, this phrase uses the impersonal construction il fait + [adjective]. Here, mauvais (bad) describes the general state of the weather. The il doesn't refer to a person but to the general situation, much like 'it' in 'it is raining.'

Il fait mauvais is a versatile phrase for any kind of unpleasant weather. It can describe a day that is rainy, windy, cold, gray, or just generally disagreeable. It's a perfect summary for a day you'd rather spend indoors.

While Il fait mauvais is a great general statement, you can add more detail to explain why the weather is bad. For example, you could follow up with: ...il pleut et il y a du vent. (...it's raining and it's windy).

Another common way to express the same idea is Le temps est mauvais (The weather is bad). However, Il fait mauvais is generally more frequent in everyday, spoken French.

💡 * Il fait vraiment mauvais aujourd'hui, je ne veux pas sortir. (The weather is really bad today, I don't want to go out.)

• N'oublie pas ton parapluie, il fait mauvais. (Don't forget your umbrella, the weather is bad.)
• Demain, il fera mauvais toute la journée. (Tomorrow, the weather will be bad all day.)
• Je déteste quand il fait mauvais comme ça. (I hate it when the weather is bad like this.)

Talking about precipitation (rain, snow) – Il pleut / Il neige

When talking about the weather in French, you'll almost always start with the impersonal pronoun il. This il doesn't refer to a person but is a grammatical placeholder, just like the 'it' in the English phrase 'It is raining.' It's a fundamental concept for all weather-related expressions.

The two key verbs are pleuvoir (to rain) and neiger (to snow). In their most common, present-tense forms, they are used as complete sentences: Il pleut means 'It is raining,' and Il neige means 'It is snowing.' These are fixed, essential phrases for any French learner.

To add more detail, you can use adverbs after the verb. This allows you to describe how heavily the precipitation is falling. For instance: Il pleut **beaucoup** (It's raining a lot), or Il neige **légèrement** (It's snowing lightly). Common adverbs include un peu (a little), fort (heavily), and énormément (enormously).

These verbs are easily conjugated for other tenses. For the recent past (passé composé), you say Il **a plu** (It rained) and Il **a neigé** (It snowed). To talk about the future (futur simple), you use Il **pleuvra** (It will rain) and Il **neigera** (It will snow).

💡 * Prends ton parapluie, il pleut des cordes ! (Take your umbrella, it's raining cats and dogs!)

• Regarde, les premiers flocons ! Il neige enfin ! (Look, the first flakes! It's finally snowing!)
• Il a plu toute la nuit, les rues sont trempées. (It rained all night, the streets are soaked.)
• Selon la météo, il neigera demain dans les Alpes. (According to the weather forecast, it will snow tomorrow in the Alps.)

Describing conditions like sun, wind, or clouds – Il y a...

To describe the presence of specific weather phenomena in French, one of the most common and useful phrases is Il y a..., which literally translates to "There is..." or "There are...". This structure is perfect for talking about observable conditions like sun, clouds, or wind.

The phrase Il y a is followed by a noun, often preceded by a partitive article (du, de la, des). This indicates an unspecified amount of something. For instance, soleil (sun) is a masculine noun, so you use du to say Il y a du soleil (It's sunny).

This structure is used for many common weather conditions. Key examples to remember include:

• Il y a du vent (It's windy)
• Il y a des nuages (It's cloudy)
• Il y a du brouillard (It's foggy)
• Il y a un orage (There's a storm)

💡 * Aujourd'hui, il y a beaucoup de vent, alors fais attention à ton chapeau.

• On ne peut pas voir le sommet de la montagne car il y a des nuages.
• Prends tes lunettes de soleil, il y a du soleil cet après-midi.
• Je préfère rester à la maison quand il y a un orage.

1. Expressing Temperature: Il fait chaud / Il fait froid

In French, the most common way to talk about the weather and temperature is with the impersonal expression Il fait.... Literally translating to 'It makes...', this phrase is the go-to structure for describing the general climate outside. The il here is impersonal and doesn't refer to a person.

Following Il fait, you simply add an adjective to describe the temperature. To say 'It's hot,' you use Il fait chaud. To say 'It's cold,' you use Il fait froid. These are the foundational phrases you'll hear and use constantly.

This structure is versatile and isn't limited to just hot and cold. You can describe other conditions as well, such as Il fait frais (It's cool/chilly), Il fait doux (It's mild), or Il fait beau (The weather is nice).

A crucial point for learners: Il fait chaud describes the weather. If you want to say that you feel hot, you must use the verb avoir, as in J'ai chaud (I am hot). Saying Je suis chaud is a common error and has a very different, inappropriate meaning.

💡 * Prends ton écharpe, il fait très froid aujourd'hui. (Take your scarf, it's very cold today.)

• J'adore l'été quand il fait chaud et ensoleillé. (I love summer when it's hot and sunny.)
• Il ne fait ni chaud ni froid, il fait doux. (It's neither hot nor cold, it's mild.)
• En avril, il fait souvent frais le matin. (In April, it's often cool in the morning.)

1. Basic Adjectives to Describe the Sky

The most fundamental way to describe the sky on a sunny day is with the adjective bleu (blue). The phrase is Le ciel est bleu. Since ciel (sky) is a masculine noun in French, the adjective bleu remains in its masculine form.

For an overcast or cloudy day, the go-to adjective is gris (gray). You would say Le ciel est gris. This generally implies a lack of sun and a uniform, gray color across the sky.

To be more specific about clouds, you can use nuageux (cloudy) or couvert (overcast). Le ciel est nuageux means there are many distinct clouds. Le ciel est couvert suggests a solid blanket of clouds covering the entire sky, similar to gris but more descriptive of the cloud cover itself.

Another common way to describe a sky without clouds is by using the adjective dégagé (clear). Le ciel est dégagé is a perfect phrase for a beautiful day, emphasizing the absence of clouds. It's a great alternative to just saying it's blue.

💡 * Regarde ! Le ciel est bleu, sans un seul nuage. (Look! The sky is blue, without a single cloud.)

• Je pense qu'il va pleuvoir, le ciel est très gris aujourd'hui. (I think it's going to rain, the sky is very gray today.)
• Le temps est incertain, le ciel est nuageux. (The weather is uncertain, the sky is cloudy.)
• Après l'orage, le ciel est complètement dégagé. (After the storm, the sky is completely clear.)

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

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

Our guide features the most essential terms like le temps and la météo. However, French is full of nuanced and regional vocabulary, from specific terms for a sea breeze on the Breton coast to words describing alpine snow conditions.

You can discover more by doing an online search for “vocabulaire de la météo en ___” and adding a specific Francophone country or region. Climate and language often go hand-in-hand!

You might find many interesting synonyms for weather conditions. Before you use a new word like bruine (drizzle) or canicule (heatwave), be sure to check its precise meaning and see how it's used in context.

Pay close attention when you watch or listen to French media. The daily weather report (le bulletin météo) is a goldmine for new vocabulary, and you'll notice how weather is a constant topic in everyday conversation.

If you want to explore more specific weather-related words, official sources like Météo-France or the dictionary entry for temps on Larousse are fantastic places to start.

I hope this article has been helpful. Let’s finish with a famous and optimistic French proverb that works for both the weather and life itself: Après la pluie, le beau temps. (After the rain, the good weather comes.)