L’Hiver: Talking About Winter in French
In this post we’ll talk about winter in French: l’hiver (winter). First we’ll learn how to talk about cold winter weather in French. Then we’ll move on to vocabulary and expressions that you can use to say whether you love or hate the winter. Next we’ll focus on winter clothes in French. Finally we’ll wrap up with some expressions to talk about cozy winter evenings at home.
Talking about Winter Weather in French
Let’s start with some basic expressions that will help you talk about cold winter weather in French.
- Il fait froid dehors !
It’s cold outside! - Il fait froid.
It’s cold. - Il gèle !
It’s freezing! - Il neige.
It’s snowing.
- Il tombe de la neige fondue.
It’s sleeting. - Il fait froid et venteux.
It’s cold and windy. - La neige est belle.
The snow is beautiful. - Nous allons avoir du blizzard cette semaine.
We’re going to have a blizzard this week. - Le lac est gelé.
The lake is frozen. - La neige fond.
The snow is melting. - Je tremble de froid !
I’m shivering!
J’aime l’hiver. I Love the Winter.
Not everyone hates the snow. If you’re a kid, or a kid at heart, you may enjoy some fun winter activities.
- J’adore la neige.
I love the snow. - Construisons un bonhomme de neige.
Let’s build a snowman. - Je vais skier ce week-end.
I’m going skiing this weekend. - Allons faire de la luge.
Let’s go sledding. - Allons patiner.
Let’s go ice skating. - J’aime le snowboard.
I like snowboarding. - Faisons une bataille de boules de neige !
Let’s have a snowball fight! - Les enfants construisent un château de neige.
The kids are building a snow fort.
Je déteste l’hiver. I Hate the Winter
Of course, winter isn’t all fun and games.
- Je déteste la neige.
I hate the snow. - Je dois pelleter l’allée.
I have to shovel the driveway. - Les routes sont glacées et dangereuses.
The roads are icy and dangerous. - J’ai glissé sur le trottoir.
I slipped on the sidewalk. - Je n’aime pas le froid !
I don’t like the cold! - Le soleil me manque.
I miss the sun. - Le climat hivernal est déprimant.
Winter weather is depressing.
Vêtements d’hiver: Winter Clothes
Now let’s talk about les vêtements d’hiver, winter clothes in French. If you have to go outside, If you have to go outside, you need to dress appropriately. You’ll probably wear: un manteau d’hiver (a winter coat), un chapeau (a hat), une écharpe (a scarf), des gants (gloves), des mitaines (mittens), des bottes (boots).
- Il me faut un chapeau/bonnet et de gants aujourd’hui.
I need a hat and gloves today. - Ce manteau n’est pas assez épais.
This coat isn’t heavy enough! - As-tu/Avez-vous des bottes imperméables ?
Do you have waterproof boots? - Je porte un pull et un manteau / une doudoune.
I’m wearing a sweater and a coat / puffy jacket.
Des soirées douillettes et tranquilles: Cozy, Quiet Evenings
But inside, you can still feel chaud et confortable (warm and cozy). You can sit next to un feu (a fire), and maybe déguster (enjoy) une tasse de thé (a cup of tea) or better yet, une tasse de chocolat chaud (a cup of hot chocolate). Just get une couverture (a blanket), maybe un bon livre (a good book), and you’re ready to make the most out of les jours froids et des longues nuits (the cold days and long nights). It’s only a few more months until the spring!
- Il fait une chaleur agréable dans cette maison.
It’s warm and cozy in this house. - Faisons un feu dans la cheminée.
Let’s make a fire in the fireplace. - Prenons un chocolat chaud devant le feu.
Let’s have hot chocolate in front of the fire. - Je me réchauffe près du feu.
I’m warming up next to the fire. - As-tu/Avez-vous une couverture / une couette ?
Do you have a blanket / quilt? - Je me couche tôt en hiver.
I go to bed early in the winter.
Get on the road to speaking French with the Language Garage!
We hope you’ve enjoyed learning how to talk about winter in French. Now you know a lot of French vocabulary for winter, and you can talk about winter weather in French and winter clothes in French. If you want to learn more, check out our other posts on French language, culture, and more. And if you’re looking for convenient and affordable live French lessons with a real teacher, check out The Language Garage. Our lessons are given online in a virtual classroom, so it doesn’t matter where you live or work. We can come to you. And we have flexible options, with a free trial so that you can decide if there’s a fit. Check us out!
