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How to Talk About the Weather in French, Beyond Il Fait Beau

Extended weather conversation in French: forecasts, seasonal commentary, and small-talk phrases that go beyond the basic il fait beau.

LexiFr Editorial Published 6 min read
How to Talk About the Weather in French, Beyond Il Fait Beau - article illustration

Extended French weather talk includes quel temps pourri ! (what rotten weather!), enfin du soleil ! (finally some sun!), and forecast phrases like on annonce de la pluie (rain is forecast). Weather is a common, genuine small-talk topic in French social interaction.

Quick answer

Extended French weather talk includes quel temps pourri ! (what rotten weather!), enfin du soleil ! (finally some sun!), and forecast phrases like on annonce de la pluie (rain is forecast). Weather is a common, genuine small-talk topic in French social interaction.

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For the core vocabulary and grammar patterns, see the core weather vocabulary and grammar patterns - this page builds on it with conversational use.

Extended commentary

Quel temps pourri ! (what rotten weather!), enfin du soleil ! (finally some sun!), on se croirait en été (it feels like summer).

Forecast vocabulary

La météo (the weather forecast/weather report), les prévisions (the forecast), on annonce de la pluie (rain is forecast), il va faire beau demain (it’ll be nice tomorrow).

FrenchEnglish
quel temps pourri !what rotten weather!
enfin du soleil !finally some sun!
on annonce de la pluierain is forecast
la météothe weather forecast

Weather as social small talk

Weather chat functions as a genuine conversational bonding tool in France, similar to English-speaking cultures - a reliable, low-stakes topic that opens the door to further conversation. See how to make small talk in French for the wider toolkit.

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Frequently asked

Questions about this note

How do you say "what awful weather" in French?

Quel temps pourri !

How do you talk about a weather forecast?

La météo annonce… or on annonce de la pluie/du soleil.

Is weather a common small-talk topic in France?

Yes, similar to many English-speaking cultures.

How do you say "it feels like summer"?

On se croirait en été.

Where can I find the basic weather vocabulary?

See our core weather in French guide for the full word list and grammar patterns.

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