French I: Weather - CliffsNotes

Weather

As you watch television, listen to the radio, or read the newspaper, you may see la météo (the forecast). Consult Table 1 for common weather expressions.

TABLE 1

Weather Conditions

French Translation	English Phrase
Quel temps fait-il?	What's the weather?
Il fait beau.	It's beautiful.
Il fait chaud.	It's hot.
Il fait du soleil.	It's sunny.
Il fait mauvais.	It's nasty (bad).
Il fait froid.	It's cold.
Il fait frais.	It's cool.
Il fait du vent.	It's windy.
Il fait des éclairs.	It's lightning.
Il fait du tonnerre.	It's thundering.
Il fait du brouillard. Il y a du brouillard.	It's foggy.
Il fait humide. Il y a de l'humidité.	It's humid.
Il y a des nuages. Le ciel est nuageux.	It's cloudy.
Le ciel est couvert.	It's overcast.
Il pleut.	It's raining.
Il pleut ` verse.	It's pouring.
Il neige.	It's snowing.
Il y a des rafales.	There are gusts of wind.
Il y a de la grêle.	There's hail.
Il y a des giboulées.	There are sudden showers.

The following additional terms in Table 2 will help you interpret forecasts as you hear or see them.

TABLE 2

Terms Used in Forecasts

French Forecast	English Translation
averses	showers (heavy rain)
bruines	drizzle
brumeux	hazy, foggy
ciel clair	clear sky
faible	weak
fort	strong
fraîcheur	chilly
modéré	moderate
orages	storms/rain
tempête	storm/snow
verglas	sleet

Keep in mind that the Centigrade (Celsius) thermometer is used in French-speaking countries.

To convert Fahrenheit to Centigrade, subract 32 from the Fahrenheit temperature and multiply the remaining number by 5/9;. This will give you the temperature in degrees Centigrade.
To convert Centigrade to Fahrenheit, multiply the Centigurade temperature by 9/5; and add 32. This will give you the temperature in degrees Fahrenheit.

Use the thermometer in Figure 1 as a quick weather reference guide. To ask and receive answers about the temperature, use the phrases in Table 3 .

Figure 1

Centigrade and Fahrenheit.

TABLE 3

Phrases Regarding Temperature

English Phrase	French
What's the temperature?	Quelle est la température? or Quelle température fait-il?
It's 5 below.	Il fait moins cinq.
It's zero.	Il fait zéro.
It's 70 degrees.	Il fait soixante-dix.