In French, the word for “season” is saison (singular) and saisons (plural). French has four seasons just like English, and each one is a common noun, not capitalized unless it starts a sentence.
French seasons are:
- le printemps (spring)
- l’été (summer — note the accent)
- l’automne (autumn/fall)
- l’hiver (winter)
You can say “la saison” to mean “the season,” and use une for “a season.”
We’ll show you the singular and plural forms, along with some example sentences explaining how to use the words.
Seasons in French
Here are the singular and plural forms of the four seasons, plus the singular and plural for “season” itself, followed by example sentences.
Singular and Plural
| French Singular | French Plural | English Singular | English Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| la saison | les saisons | the season | the seasons |
| le printemps | les printemps | spring | springs |
| l’été | les étés | summer | summers |
| l’automne | les automnes | autumn/fall | autumns/falls |
| l’hiver | les hivers | winter | winters |
Usage Notes
- Seasons are masculine in French: le printemps, l’été, l’automne, l’hiver.
- La saison (season) is feminine.
- Plurals add -s as usual, but you rarely use seasons in plural in everyday speech.
- The article (le, la, les) is usually included in French (“le printemps” = “the spring”).
Example Sentences
Here are some simple sentences in French using the seasons, with English translations.
Singular
| French Example | English Example |
|---|---|
| Le printemps est ma saison préférée. | Spring is my favorite season. |
| En été, il fait très chaud. | In summer, it’s very hot. |
| L’automne est coloré avec les feuilles. | Autumn is colorful with the leaves. |
| En hiver, il neige souvent. | In winter, it often snows. |
| Une saison dure environ trois mois. | A season lasts about three months. |
Plural
| French Example | English Example |
|---|---|
| Les saisons changent quatre fois par an. | The seasons change four times a year. |
| Nous aimons toutes les saisons. | We like all the seasons. |
| En été et en hiver, les journées sont extrêmes. | In summer and winter, the days are extreme. |
| Les automnes en France sont magnifiques. | Autumns in France are beautiful. |
| Les printemps sont souvent pluvieux. | Springs are often rainy. |
Usage in Context
In French, you use the preposition en before the season name when talking about something that happens “in” that season. For example:
- en été (in summer)
- au printemps (in spring) — note the au instead of en because printemps is masculine and this is a fixed expression.
Here are the correct prepositions to use:
| Season | Preposition + Season | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| le printemps | au printemps | in spring |
| l’été | en été | in summer |
| l’automne | en automne | in autumn |
| l’hiver | en hiver | in winter |
Example with Prepositions
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Je pars en vacances en été. | I go on vacation in summer. |
| Les fleurs poussent au printemps. | Flowers grow in spring. |
| Les feuilles tombent en automne. | Leaves fall in autumn. |
| En hiver, je reste au chaud. | In winter, I stay warm. |
Summary
- la saison / les saisons = season / seasons
- le printemps = spring
- l’été = summer
- l’automne = autumn/fall
- l’hiver = winter
- Use en + [season] (or au printemps) to say “in [season]”
- Seasons are usually singular and masculine in French.
Which preposition do you use for “in autumn” in French?
en automne
Use **en automne** for “in autumn.” The preposition **en** is standard for seasons other than spring.
Which preposition do you use for “in summer” in French?
en été
Use **en été** for “in summer.” The preposition **en** is used for most seasons except spring.
Flashcards (1 of 19)
- English Singular: the season
- English Plural: the seasons
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
