Keywords: French seasons vocabulary, seasons in French, French words for spring summer fall winter, French season examples, French season grammar rules
Seasons are a fundamental topic in any language. This guide covers the four main seasons in French—le printemps (spring), l’été (summer), l’automne (fall), and l’hiver (winter)—along with related vocabulary. We’ll also explain how to talk about seasons in French, including grammar and example sentences.
French Seasons
French has one word each for spring, summer, fall (autumn), and winter. These nouns are masculine, so they use le.
___ est le mot français pour « automne ».
What is the French word for 'fall' (autumn)?
l'automne
The French word for 'fall' or 'autumn' is 'l'automne'.
___ est le mot français pour « été ».
What is the French word for 'summer'?
l'été
The French word for 'summer' is 'l'été'. The other options are different seasons.
French Seasons Vocabulary
| French Singular | French Plural | Gender | English Singular | English Plural | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| le printemps | les printemps | masculine | spring | springs | Le printemps est ma saison préférée. | Spring is my favorite season. |
| l’été | les étés | masculine | summer | summers | En été, il fait très chaud. | In summer, it’s very hot. |
| l’automne | les automnes | masculine | fall (autumn) | falls (autumns) | Les feuilles tombent en automne. | The leaves fall in autumn. |
| l’hiver | les hivers | masculine | winter | winters | En hiver, il neige souvent. | In winter, it often snows. |
More Nature & Weather Vocabulary
Here are more words that often come up when talking about the seasons.
| French Singular | French Plural | Gender | English Singular | English Plural | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| la feuille | les feuilles | feminine | leaf | leaves | Les feuilles changent de couleur. | The leaves change color. |
| la fleur | les fleurs | feminine | flower | flowers | Les fleurs poussent au printemps. | Flowers grow in spring. |
| la neige | — | feminine | snow | — | La neige recouvre le sol en hiver. | Snow covers the ground in winter. |
| la pluie | — | feminine | rain | — | Il pleut souvent au printemps. | It often rains in spring. |
| le soleil | — | masculine | sun | — | Le soleil brille en été. | The sun shines in summer. |
| le vent | — | masculine | wind | — | Le vent est fort en automne. | The wind is strong in fall. |
| l’orage | les orages | masculine | storm | storms | Il y a souvent des orages en été. | There are often storms in summer. |
| la température | — | feminine | temperature | — | La température baisse en automne. | The temperature drops in fall. |
Talking About Seasons in French
Use en + [season] to say “in [season].” For example, en hiver means “in winter.”
| French Preposition | Usage Example | English Meaning | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| en | en été | in summer | in summer |
| au | au printemps | in spring | in spring |
| en | en automne | in fall | in fall |
| en | en hiver | in winter | in winter |
Note: For printemps (spring), use au instead of en for a more natural sound.
Common Phrases About Seasons
Here are some common French phrases that use season vocabulary.
| French Phrase | English Translation |
|---|---|
| Quelle est ta saison préférée ? | What is your favorite season? |
| J’aime l’été parce qu’il fait chaud. | I like summer because it’s hot. |
| En automne, les jours raccourcissent. | In fall, the days get shorter. |
| Il neige beaucoup en hiver. | It snows a lot in winter. |
| Au printemps, les fleurs commencent à pousser. | In spring, the flowers start to grow. |
En automne, les jours raccourcissent.
In fall, the days get shorter.
The sentence means 'In fall, the days get shorter.'
Summary
- French has four main season words: le printemps, l’été, l’automne, l’hiver.
- Use au for “spring” (au printemps) and en for the other seasons (en été, en automne, en hiver).
- Key nature words for seasons include la feuille (leaf), la fleur (flower), la neige (snow), la pluie (rain), le soleil (sun), le vent (wind), l’orage (storm), and la température (temperature).
- Practice with common phrases to describe the weather and your favorite times of year.
Flashcards (1 of 21)
- Gender: masculine
- English Singular: spring
- English Plural: springs
- English Example: Spring is my favorite season.
Last updated: Thu Jun 12, 2025
