Il fait… – talking about the weather
Il fait beau, il pleut
Most weather expressions in French use il fait + adjective or noun. The il doesn't refer to anything: it's like English it in it's raining.
Il fait…
- Il fait beau.The weather's nice.
- Il fait mauvais.The weather's bad.
- Il fait chaud.It's hot.
- Il fait froid.It's cold.
- Il fait doux.It's mild.
- Il fait frais.It's cool.
- Il fait gris.It's grey/overcast.
- Il fait 25 degrés.It's 25 degrees.
- Il fait jour / nuit.It's light / dark.
Verbs of their own
- Il pleut.It's raining. (pleuvoir)
- Il neige.It's snowing. (neiger)
- Il gèle.It's freezing.
Il y a…
- Il y a du soleil.It's sunny.
- 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 de l'orage.There's a storm.
Asking
- Quel temps fait-il ?What's the weather like?
- Il fait quel temps à Paris ?What's the weather like in Paris?
Other tenses
- Il faisait beau hier.The weather was nice yesterday.
- Il va pleuvoir.It's going to rain.
- Il fera chaud demain.It'll be hot tomorrow.
For a person feeling hot or cold, use avoir: J'ai froid. See Avoir faim, soif, chaud, froid, … ans.
Practice
- It's nice weather.Options: Il fait beau. · Il est beau. · C'est beau temps.
Show the answer
Il fait beau.
- It's raining.Options: Il pleut. · Il fait pluie. · Il est pleuvoir.
Show the answer
Il pleut.
- It's windy.Options: Il y a du vent. · Il est du vent. · C'est venteux.
Show the answer
Il y a du vent.
- Il _____ froid aujourd'hui.
Show the answer
fait
In the app, this lesson is taught one idea at a time with the examples read aloud, followed by questions that explain the rule when you get one wrong. It then comes back for review on later days until you've mastered it.