The weather (Edexcel GCSE French): Revision Notes
The weather
Learning to talk about weather is essential for GCSE French, especially in tourism contexts. Weather vocabulary helps you describe holiday destinations, plan activities, and engage in everyday conversations.
Essential weather vocabulary
| French | English |
|---|---|
| le temps | weather |
| chaud(e) | hot |
| froid(e) | cold |
| beau/belle | beautiful/fine |
| mauvais(e) | bad |
| humide | wet, humid |
| le soleil | sun |
| la neige | snow |
| le vent | wind |
| le ciel | sky |
Basic Weather Sentences:
- Le temps est beau aujourd'hui. (The weather is fine today.)
- Il fait très chaud en été. (It's very hot in summer.)
- J'aime le soleil mais pas le vent. (I like the sun but not the wind.)
Time of day vocabulary
| French | English |
|---|---|
| le matin | morning |
| l'après-midi | afternoon |
| le soir | evening |
| le jour | day |
| la journée | day (duration) |
Pronunciation tip: Remember that journée means 'day' as a period of time, not 'journey'!
Weather in different tenses
Understanding how to express weather in various tenses allows you to discuss past holidays, current conditions, and future travel plans.
Present tense
The present tense describes current weather conditions. Use these key structures:
- Il fait + adjective: Il fait chaud (It's hot)
- Il + weather verb: Il pleut (It's raining), Il neige (It's snowing)
- Il y a du/de la + noun: Il y a du soleil (It's sunny)
Common Present Tense Expressions:
- Il fait chaud - It's hot
- Il pleut - It's raining
- Il y a du soleil - It's sunny
Past tense
For past weather conditions, French uses both the passé composé and imperfect tenses:
Passé composé (completed actions):
- Il a fait chaud - It was hot
- Il a plu - It rained
Imperfect (ongoing conditions):
- Il faisait chaud - It was hot (ongoing)
- Il pleuvait - It was raining (ongoing)
- Il y avait du soleil - It was sunny (ongoing)
The imperfect tense is used for describing weather as a background condition, while passé composé describes specific weather events.
Future tense
Express future weather using two structures:
Near future (aller + infinitive):
- Il va faire chaud - It's going to be hot
- Il va pleuvoir - It's going to rain
Simple future:
- Il fera chaud - It will be hot
- Il pleuvra - It will rain
- Il y aura du soleil - It will be sunny
Asking about weather
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Quel temps fait-il? | What's the weather like? |
| Il y a du brouillard | It's foggy |
| Il fait beau | It's fine/nice weather |
| Il fait mauvais | It's bad weather |
Example Conversation:
- Quel temps fait-il à Paris? (What's the weather like in Paris?)
- Il y a du brouillard ce matin. (It's foggy this morning.)
Picture description skills
When describing weather in pictures for your exam, remember these techniques:
Essential Picture Description Techniques:
- Focus on obvious weather elements first (sun, rain, snow, clouds)
- Include background details that support your description
- Use varied vocabulary to demonstrate your knowledge
- Mention time of day if relevant
Sample Picture Description:
Il pleut. Il y a de la neige. Il fait froid. Je vois une personne. (It's raining. There's snow. It's cold. I can see a person.)
Translation practice
Translate these sentences into English:
- J'aime quand il fait chaud en vacances.
- Mon père adore la neige.
- Quand il fait froid, nous allons à la montagne.
- S'il y a du vent, mes parents ne sont pas heureux.
- Hier, il a plu toute la journée.
Answers:
- I like it when it's hot on holiday.
- My father loves snow.
- When it's cold, we go to the mountains.
- If it's windy, my parents aren't happy.
- Yesterday, it rained all day.
Translate these sentences into French:
- The weather is beautiful today.
- It will be sunny tomorrow.
Answers:
- Le temps est beau aujourd'hui. / Il fait beau aujourd'hui.
- Il y aura du soleil demain. / Il fera du soleil demain.
Exam tips
Critical Exam Success Strategies:
- Learn both forms of past and future tenses for weather
- Practice picture descriptions using weather vocabulary
- Remember gender agreements - beau (masculine) vs belle (feminine)
- Use connectives like mais (but), et (and), parce que (because) to link weather descriptions
- Include time expressions to show range: ce matin (this morning), l'après-midi (in the afternoon)
Key Points to Remember:
- Il fait + adjective is the most common way to describe weather conditions
- Weather verbs like pleut and neige are only used in the third person singular
- Past weather can be expressed using both passé composé and imperfect tenses
- Picture descriptions should include background details, not just obvious weather elements
- Time vocabulary helps you give more detailed and impressive responses in exams