How to talk about the seasons in French in color & vibrant detail
Author
Seasons mark the pace of our lives. They are a reassuring reminder that in nature, everything is always renewed and always works out as planned despite obstacles along the way.
It is no surprise that seasons have a significant importance and symbolism in many cultures around the globe. This article will help you learn seasons in French, from Québec to France and everything in between. You’ll also learn some useful vocab around the four seasons in French, and discover cool seasonal songs.
Recommended playlist while reading: “ Les quatre saisons “ from Vivaldi. Bonne lecture !
The seasons in French
In French, “season” is “saison” — plural “saisons”. Pretty easy, right? You can learn the seasons of the year in French in the table below. Combine it with our articles on:
- Weather in French;
- Months in French; and
- Days of the week in French, et vous ferez la pluie et le beau temps en langue française !
| English | French | IPA |
| Summer | Été | ete |
| Autumn / Fall | Automne | otɔmnə |
| Winter | Hiver | ivεɾ |
| Spring | Printemps | pɾɛ̃tɑ̃ |
| The rainy season | La saison des pluies | la sɛzõde plɥjə |
| The dry season | La saison sèche | la sɛzõ sɛʃə |
Summer in French
“Sur la plage abandonnée… Coquillages et crustacés… ”
“Quand vient la fin de l’été… sur la plage… ”
Summer in French is “L’été” and is an endless source of inspiration. Below is a little Francophone world tour of this beautiful season!
| Countries | Summer months range | Additional notes |
| France, Belgium, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Monaco | June-September | Some small variations between North and South. |
| Canada | June- September Été indien : Octobre |
Some significant variations between North and South Québec. |
| Haiti | April-October | More of a rainy season than summer as temperatures never drop (tropical climate). |
| Vanuatu | November-April (Southern hemisphere) | More of a rainy season than summer as temperatures never drop (tropical climate). |
| Most of the French-speaking African countries — Around the equator | July-September with some variations | More of a rainy season than summer as temperatures never drop (tropical climate). |
| Most of the French-speaking African countries — Southern hemisphere | November-March with some variations | Rainy season with hot temperatures. |
Notable summer holidays in French
- Le 21 juin, la Fête de la Musique: Not a bank holiday but a really cool nationwide event. In every French city, town and village, both famous and unknown musicians play on the street or in bars all night.
- Le 14 juillet, la Fête nationale: France celebrates Bastille Day, its national day, with fireworks.
- Le 15 août, l’Assomption: Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
French summer words
Brighten your French vocab with these summer words! You’ll find more weather-related vocab in this article.
| English | French |
| Hot | Chaud |
| Sunny | Ensoleillé |
| Dry | Sec |
| Thirsty | Assoiffé |
| Gelato | Glace |
| Swimming | Baignade |
| Beach | Plage |
| Vacation | Vacances |
| Flip flops | Tongs |
| Heat | Chaleur |
Fall in French
Fall might be my favorite season. Beautiful colors, cozy hot French drinks by the fireplace, mushrooms, berries and cool, rainy days. Too bad I leaf, errr, live by the Mediterranean sea!
| Countries | Fall months range | Additional notes /facts |
| France, Belgium, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Monaco |
September-December | Some small variations between North and South. |
| Canada | September-December Beautiful fall colors during the “Été indien” (October) |
Some significant variations between North and South Québec. |
| Haiti | No fall, per say | Tropical climate. |
| Vanuatu | No fall, per say | Tropical climate. |
| Most of the French-speaking African countries — Around the equator | No fall, per say | Tropical climate. |
| Most of the French-speaking African countries — Southern hemisphere | No fall, per say | A few transition days between the rainy and dry season. |
Notable Fall holidays in French
- Le 1er novembre, la Toussaint: All Saints.
- Le 31 octobre, Halloween: Not a bank holiday and relatively new in France. Well celebrated in Québec.
French Fall words
As Yves Montand would say, “Les feuilles mortes se ramassent à la pelle.“ To describe a stunning fall landscape, you might want to learn colors in French as well. C’est si beau !
| English | French |
| Leaves | Feuilles |
| Orange | Orange |
| Cooling down | Rafraîchir |
| Harvest | Moisson |
| Pumpkin | Citrouille, potiron |
| Mushrooms | Champignons |
| Forest | Forêt |
| Wind | Vent |
Winter in French
From an Alpine winter wonderland to an exotic Christmas at the beach, you’re spoiled for a choice. Just remember to bring the right clothes!
| Countries | Winter months range | Additional notes /facts |
| France, Belgium, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Monaco |
December-March | Some small variations between North and South. |
| Canada | December-March (later in Northern Québec) | Some significant variations between North and South Québec. |
| Haiti | November-March | More of a dry season than winter as temperatures never drop (tropical climate). |
| Vanuatu | May-October (Southern hemisphere) | More of a dry season than winter as temperatures never drop (tropical climate). |
| Most of the French-speaking African countries — Around the equator | October-June with some variations | More of a dry season than winter as temperatures never drop (tropical climate). |
| Most of the French-speaking African countries — Southern hemisphere | April-October with some variations | Dry season with cool temperatures. |
Notable Winter holidays in French
- Le 24 décembre, le Réveillon de Noël: Not a bank holiday, but some companies will let their staff leave early for Christmas Eve.
- Le 25 décembre, Noël: Christmas.
- Le 31 décembre, le Réveillon de la Saint-Sylvestre: Not a bank holiday, but some companies will let their staff leave early for New Year’s Eve.
- Le 1er janvier, le Nouvel An: New Year.
- Le 6 janvier, l'Épiphanie: Not a bank holiday, but time to eat the delicious Galette des rois.
- Février à mars (47 days before Easter, Mardi gras): Not a bank holiday, but it’s Carnaval time in France and many other francophone countries — Even in Louisiana!
French winter words
The cold never bothered me anyway. I shall agree with Elsa!
| English | French |
| Cold | Froid |
| Snowing | Neige |
| Freezing | Gèle |
| Ice | Glace |
| Frost | Givre, gel |
| Scarf | Écharpe |
| Gloves | Gants |
| Snowman | Bonhomme de neige |
| Christmas tree | Sapin de Noël |
| Fireplace | Cheminée |
| Snowshoes | Raquettes |
Spring in French
Le printemps est un symbole de renouveau. Spring is a symbol of renewal. Flowers are blooming, birds are humming, trees are “greening”… What, I can’t make up words?
| Countries | Spring months range | Additional notes /facts |
| France, Belgium, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Monaco |
March-June | Some small variations between North and South. |
| Canada | March-June | Some significant variations between North and South Québec. |
| Haiti | No spring, per say | Tropical climate. |
| Vanuatu | No spring, per say | Tropical climate. |
| Most of the French-speaking African countries — Around the equator | No spring, per say | Tropical climate. |
| Most of the French-speaking African countries — Southern hemisphere | No spring, per say | A few transition days between the dry and rainy season. |
Notable Spring holidays in French
- Le 1er avril, Poisson d’avril: April Fools, not a bank holiday but it’s time for pranks and jokes!
- Mars ou avril, Pâques: Easter.
- Le 1er mai, la Fête du travail: Labor Day. It’s also customary to offer un brin de muguet — learn more flowers in French here.
- Le 8 mai, Jour de la Victoire 45: World War II Victory Day
- 40 days after Easter, l’Ascension: Ascension Day
- 7th Monday after Easter, lundi de Pentecôte: Whit Monday or Pentecost Monday
French spring words
Nature in full spring! Nature lovers will also appreciate these beautiful words in French, with a section dedicated to Mother Earth.
| English | French |
| Flowers | Fleurs |
| New life | Nouvelle ville |
| Birds | Oiseaux |
| Gardening | Faire le jardin |
| Sunny, but cool | Ensoleillé mais frais |
| Green | Vert |
| Breeze | Brise |
| Renewal | Renouveau |
Examples of sentences using the four seasons in French
L’été (summer)
Dans ma région, l’été est chaud et humide.
In my region, summer is hot and humid.
L’été est ma saison préférée. J’adore la plage !
Summer is my favorite season. I just love the beach!
L’automne (fall/autumn)
En automne, je vais souvent ramasser des champignons.
In fall, I often go mushroom picking.
Manges-tu des châtaignes en automne ?
Do you eat chestnuts in fall?
L’hiver (winter)
Je trouve que la neige embellit toujours le paysage.
I think snow always makes the landscape nicer.
Habille-toi bien, l’hiver québécois est rude !
Dress warmly, the Québecois winter is harsh!
Le printemps (spring)
Quelle est ta fleur printanière préférée ?
What’s your favorite spring flower?
J’adore me réveiller avec le chant des oiseaux au printemps.
I love waking up to birds chirping in spring.
Seasons are one of the most beautiful natural phenomenons and will never cease to fascinate those who observe them.
With what you’ve learned in this article, you’ll be able to explain better where you are from and describe seasons in your home country.
Like every season, this article is coming to an end. Let’s top it off a bit of wisdom:
À Noël je n'ai pas plus envie de rose que je ne voudrais de neige au printemps. J'aime chaque saison pour ce qu'elle apporte.
“At Christmas I no more desire a rose
Than wish a snow in May's new-fangled mirth;
But like of each thing that in season grows.”
-William Shakespeare-
Keep up the fun, free French vocabulary lessons on our French blog here.
