Les couleurs de l’automne: The Colors of Fall. French Autumn Vocabulary

In this post we’re going to learn some French autumn vocabulary. First, we’ll start with vocabulary for the beautiful colors of the season. Next, we’ll look at vocabulary related to fall weather and shorter days. After that we’ll talk about fall clothing. Finally, we’ll wrap up our discussion of French autumn vocabulary with some expressions to help you capture the calm, quiet mood of the season.

Les couleurs. Colors.

Let’s start with the colors. One of the first things that you think about when you think of fall is probably les belles couleurs (the beautiful colors) of les feuilles (f.) (leaves). At this time of year, the leaves turn rouge (red), orange (orange), or doré (gold), before they turn marron (brown) and tombent (fall) onto the ground. Here are some phrases for talking about the colors of fall in French.

• Les feuilles changent de couleur.
  The leaves are turning color.
• Les arbres sont magnifiques à cette saison.
  The trees are magnificent at this season.
• Les feuilles tombent des arbres.
  The leaves are falling off the trees.

Il fait plus froid. It’s getting colder.

Next, let’s turn to fall weather. Apart from the colors of fall, the other thing you think about when you think of autumn is le temps (weather). Depending on where you live, fall may be frais (chilly) or pluvieux (rainy), and the skies may be gris (gray) and nuageux (cloudy). Or you may live in a place where the weather doesn’t really change much, so fall is ensoleillé (sunny) and chaud (warm), just like the rest of the year. If you do live in a place with seasons, though, here are some phrases to help you talk about the weather.

• Le temps est pluvieux et nuageux.
  The weather is rainy and cloudy.
• Les jours sont frais et les nuits sont froides.
  The days are chilly and the nights are cold.
• Le vent souffle dans les arbres.
  The wind is blowing in the trees.
• Le ciel est gris.
  The sky is gray.

Les jours raccourcissent. The days are getting shorter.

Now let’s talk about shorter fall days. Avez-vous reculé votre montre d’une heure ? (Did to turn your watch back an hour?) The days were already getting shorter before l’heure (f.) d’été (Daylight Savings Time), but now il fait sombre (it’s getting dark) very early. Le soleil se lève (The sun rises) earlier, so you have more light in the morning, but le soleil se couche (the sun sets) in the late afternoon in a lot of places.

• Les jours raccourcissent.
  The days are getting shorter.
• Avez-vous reculé votre montre d’une heure ?
  Did to turn your watch back an hour?
• Il fait sombre.
  It’s dark.
• Le soleil se lève plus tard.
  The sun rises later.
• Le soleil se couche plus tôt.
  The sun sets earlier.

Les vêtements d’automne. Autumn clothes.

Now let’s turn to autumn clothes. All of these fall changes probably mean a change in your wardrobe, too. It’s time to ranger tes vêtements d’été (put away your summer clothes) and get out your veste (f.) (jacket), pulls (m.) (sweaters), chapeau (m.) (hat), and maybe your imperméable (m.) (raincoat). And it may be time to put an extra couverture (f.) (blanket) on the bed. If you live somewhere that gets very cold in the winter, it’s probably still too early for your manteau (m.) d’hiver (winter coat), bottes (f.) (boots), écharpe (f.) (scarf), and gants (m.) (gloves), but that will be here soon enough.

• Je vais ranger mes vêtements d’été.
  I’m going to put away my summer clothes.
• Je vais mettre une veste ce soir.
  I’m going to put on a jacket tonight.
• J’ai besoin d’un pull.
  I need a sweater.
• Je mets un chapeau.
  I’m putting on a hat.
• Où est mon imperméable ?
  Where’s my raincoat?
• On a besoin d’une couverture.
  We need a blanket.

Le sentiment de l’automne. Autumn mood.

Finally, let’s wrap up our French autumn vocabulary with some expressions related to the mood of the season. If you like les soirées calmes et tranquilles (calm and quiet evenings), and maybe un bon livre/bouquin (a good book) and une tasse de thé (a cup of tea), you probably enjoy the fall. If you like les longues journées d’été (long summer days), and un temps chaud (warm weather), you might find fall déprimant (depressing) and triste (sad). But at least it means that le printemps (spring) is closer now than it was in the summer!

• J’aime les soirées calmes et tranquilles.
  I like calm and quiet evenings.
• J’ai un bon livre/bouquin.
  I have a good book.
• J’ai envie d’une tasse de thé.
  I feel like a cup of tea.
• .Les longues journées d’été me manquent.
  I miss the long summer days.
• J’adore l’automne, c’est ma saison préférée !
  I love fall, it’s my favorite season!
• Je n’aime pas l’automne, c’est sombre, froid et déprimant.
  I don’t like fall, it’s dark, cold and depressing.

If you like curling up with a good poem about the colors of fall, here are two well-known (but sad) works in French language about autumn: La Chanson d’automne (the Autumn Song), a poem by French poet Paul Verlaine; and Les Feuilles mortes (the dead leaves) is a famous French song written by Jacques Prévert and composed by Joseph Kosma.

Enjoy the fall!

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