Seasons in French describe the four main times of the year, along with related vocabulary for weather, activities, and holidays. This guide includes common words and example sentences to help you talk about seasons in French.
Seasons
The four main seasons in French are le printemps (spring), l’été (summer), l’automne (autumn/fall), and l’hiver (winter). Each season name is masculine and singular.
- French seasons are not capitalized unless at the beginning of a sentence.
- The expression en [season] is used to say "in [season]."
| French Singular | French Pronunciation | English Singular | English Pronunciation | Example Sentence | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| le printemps | [lə prɛ̃tɑ̃] | spring | [sprɪŋ] | Le printemps commence en mars. | Spring begins in March. |
| l’été | [lete] | summer | [ˈsʌmɚ] | Nous allons à la plage en été. | We go to the beach in summer. |
| l’automne | [lotɔn] | autumn/fall | [ˈɔtəm] | Les feuilles tombent en automne. | Leaves fall in autumn. |
| l’hiver | [livɛʁ] | winter | [ˈwɪntɚ] | Il neige souvent en hiver. | It often snows in winter. |
Weather Words
These weather words help you describe typical weather conditions during each season.
- The verb faire (to do/make) is often used to talk about weather: Il fait ... means "The weather is ..."
| French | French Pronunciation | English | English Pronunciation | Example Sentence | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| le soleil | [sɔlɛj] | the sun | [sʌn] | Le soleil brille en été. | The sun shines in summer. |
| la pluie | [plɥi] | the rain | [reɪn] | Il pleut au printemps. | It rains in spring. |
| la neige | [nɛʒ] | the snow | [snoʊ] | La neige couvre le sol en hiver. | Snow covers the ground in winter. |
| le vent | [vɑ̃] | the wind | [wɪnd] | Le vent est fort en automne. | The wind is strong in autumn. |
| le nuage | [nɥaʒ] | the cloud | [klaʊd] | Il y a des nuages aujourd’hui. | There are clouds today. |
| la température | [tɑ̃pɛʁatyʁ] | the temperature | [ˌtɛmpəˈrætʃɚ] | La température est agréable au printemps. | The temperature is pleasant in spring. |
Seasonal Activities
These verbs and nouns help you talk about common activities associated with each season.
- Verbs are given in the infinitive form.
- Use en [season] to say you do something during a season.
| French | French Pronunciation | English | English Pronunciation | Example Sentence | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| faire du ski | [fɛʁ dy ski] | to ski | [ski] | Je fais du ski en hiver. | I ski in winter. |
| nager | [naʒe] | to swim | [swɪm] | Nous nageons en été. | We swim in summer. |
| ramasser des feuilles | [ʁamasɛ de fœj] | to gather leaves | [ˈɡæðɚ livz] | Les enfants ramassent des feuilles en automne. | Children gather leaves in autumn. |
| planter des fleurs | [plɑ̃te de flœʁ] | to plant flowers | [plænt] | On plante des fleurs au printemps. | We plant flowers in spring. |
| se promener | [sə pʁɔmənɛ] | to take a walk | [ˈteɪk ə wɔk] | Je me promène en automne. | I take a walk in autumn. |
| faire un pique-nique | [fɛʁ ɛ̃ piknik] | to have a picnic | [ˈhæv ə ˈpɪknɪk] | On fait un pique-nique au printemps. | We have a picnic in spring. |
How do you say 'I ski in winter' in French?
Je fais du ski en hiver.
'Je fais du ski' means 'I ski,' and 'en hiver' means 'in winter,' which matches the English sentence.
Holiday and Festival Words
Some holidays are associated with particular seasons. These words will help you talk about them in French.
| French | French Pronunciation | English | English Pronunciation | Example Sentence | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noël | [nɔɛl] | Christmas | [ˈkrɪsməs] | Noël a lieu en hiver. | Christmas takes place in winter. |
| Pâques | [pɑk] | Easter | [ˈiːstər] | Pâques est au printemps. | Easter is in spring. |
| la Toussaint | [tusɛ̃] | All Saints’ Day | [ɔl seɪnts deɪ] | La Toussaint est en automne. | All Saints’ Day is in autumn. |
| la fête de la musique | [fɛt də la myzik] | Music Festival | [ˈmjuzɪk ˈfɛstəvəl] | La fête de la musique est en été. | The Music Festival is in summer. |
Phrases and Expressions
These common expressions will help you talk naturally about seasons in French.
- Use en [season] to say "in [season]."
- au printemps (in spring), en été (in summer), en automne (in autumn), en hiver (in winter)
| French | French Pronunciation | English | English Pronunciation | Example Sentence | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| En [saison] ... | [ɑ̃ ...] | In [season] ... | [ɪn ...] | En hiver, il fait froid. | In winter, it is cold. |
| changer de saison | [ʃɑ̃ʒe də sɛzɔ̃] | to change season | [tʃeɪndʒ ˈsizən] | Le temps change de saison au printemps. | The weather changes season in spring. |
| tout au long de ... | [tu o lɔ̃ də ...] | all along ... | [ɔl əˈlɔŋ ...] | Tout au long de l’été, il fait chaud. | All along the summer, it is hot. |
| les quatre saisons | [le katʁ sɛzɔ̃] | the four seasons | [ðə fɔr ˈsizənz] | Les quatre saisons sont égales. | The four seasons are equal. |
| selon la saison | [səlɔ̃ la sɛzɔ̃] | depending on the season | [dɪˈpɛndɪŋ ɑn ðə ˈsizən] | Selon la saison, les activités changent. | Depending on the season, activities change. |
How do you say 'In winter, it is cold' in French?
En hiver, il fait froid.
'En hiver' means 'in winter,' and 'il fait froid' means 'it is cold.'
How do you say 'Depending on the season, activities change' in French?
Selon la saison, les activités changent.
'Selon la saison' means 'depending on the season,' and 'les activités changent' means 'activities change.'
Conclusion
Now you have the essential French vocabulary to talk about the seasons, describe the weather, and mention seasonal activities and holidays. Try using these words in sentences to practice speaking about different times of the year in French.
Flashcards (1 of 25)
- Example Sentence: Le printemps commence en mars.
- Translation: Spring begins in March.
- English Singular: spring
- English Pronunciation: [sprɪŋ]
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
