Imagine yourself in France, soaking up the summer sun. Strolling along the Seine, savoring a delicious ice cream (glace) under the warm soleil. But wait! Knowing words like canicule (heatwave) and orage (thunderstorm) isn’t just about sounding smart; it’s about connecting with the rhythm of French life. It’s not just about vocabulary, it’s about sharing in the excitement of the season!
Most Commonly Used Summer Words in French
Here are some common French words associated with the summer season:
| Common Summer Words in French | English Translations |
|---|---|
| l’été | summer |
| le soleil | sun |
| les vacances | vacation |
| la plage | beach |
| la mer | sea |
| la piscine | swimming pool |
| la chaleur | heat |
| la canicule | heatwave |
| la glace | icecream |
| le barbecue | barbeque |
Enhance your vocabulary with essential terms related to nature and sustainability in this blog on Environment & Ecology Vocabulary in French.
French Words for Summer Activities
Let’s unlock some French words that capture the joy of summer activities. Allez-y!
| French Words for Summer Activities | English Translations | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| nager | to swim | J’aime nager dans la mer.(I love to swim in the sea.) |
| faire un pique-nique | to have a picnic | Nous allons faire un pique-nique au parc demain.(We are going to have a picnic in the park tomorrow.) |
| voyager | to travel | J’aimerais voyager en France cet été.(I would like to travel to France this summer.) |
| bronzer | to sunbathe | Elle aime bronzer sur la plage.(She likes to sunbathe on the beach.) |
| faire du vélo | to ride a bike | Nous faisons du vélo le long de la côte.(We ride bikes along the coast.) |
| faire du camping | to go camping | Ils aiment faire du camping dans les montagnes.(They like to go camping in the mountains.) |
| faire du bateau | to go boating | Nous avons fait du bateau sur le lac.(We went boating on the lake.) |
| faire du surf | to surf | Il aime faire du surf à Hendaye.(He likes to surf in Hendaye.) |
| faire de la randonnée | to go hiking | Nous avons fait de la randonnée dans les Alpes.(We went hiking in the Alps.) |
| jardinage | gardening | Elle aime jardiner dans son potager.(She likes to garden in her vegetable garden.) |
French Words for Summer Weather
Here are some common French words to describe summer weather.
| French Words for Summer Weather | English Translations | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| chaud | hot | Il fait très chaud aujourd’hui.(It is very hot today.) |
| ensoleillé | sunny | C’est une journée ensoleillée.(It is a sunny day.) |
| canicule | heatwave | Nous avons eu une canicule la semaine dernière.(We had a heatwave last week.) |
| pluvieux | rainy | Il pleut beaucoup aujourd’hui.(It is raining a lot today.) |
| frais | cool | Il fait frais ce soir.(It is cool this evening.) |
| nuageux | cloudy | Le ciel est nuageux aujourd’hui.(The sky is cloudy today.) |
| vent | wind | Il y a beaucoup de vent.(It is very windy.) |
| humide | humid | L’air est humide.(The air is humid.) |
| agréable | pleasant | Le temps est agréable.(The weather is pleasant.) |
| brise | breeze | J’aime la sensation de la brise sur ma peau.(I love the feeling of the breeze on my skin.) |
French Words for Summer Clothes and Accessories
Summer in France calls for something appropriate to the weather. Need some ideas? Here are some French words for summer clothes and accessories.
| French Words for Summer Clothes & Accessories | English Translations | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| jupe | skirt | J’ai acheté une jolie jupe pour l’été.(I bought a pretty skirt for the summer.) |
| robe | dress | Elle a acheté une robe légère pour l’été.(She bought a light dress for the summer.) |
| maillot de bain | swimsuit | J’ai besoin d’acheter un nouveau maillot de bain.(I need to buy a new swimsuit.) |
| paréo | sarong | Elle s’est enveloppée dans un paréo coloré.(She wrapped herself in a colorful sarong.) |
| short | shorts | Les shorts sont parfaits pour la plage.(Shorts are perfect for the beach.) |
| camisole | camisole | J’ai acheté une camisole en soie pour porter sous ma robe.(I bought a silk camisole to wear under my dress.) |
| sandales | sandals | Je préfère porter des sandales en été.(I prefer to wear sandals in the summer.) |
| chapeau de paille | straw hat | Elle portait un joli chapeau de paille.(She was wearing a pretty straw hat.) |
| crème solaire | sunscreen | N’oubliez pas d’appliquer de la crème solaire avant d’aller à la plage!(Don’t forget to apply sunscreen before going to the beach!) |
| lunettes de soleil | sunglasses | Le soleil est très fort aujourd’hui, n’oublie pas tes lunettes de soleil! (Don’t forget your sunglasses, the sun is very strong today!) |
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French Words for Summer Food and Drinks
While the summers can be a humid and annoying time, one must not forget the delicious world of French summer cuisine. Here’s a taste of some popular words related to summer food and drinks in French!
| French Words for Summer Food & Drinks | English Translations | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| salade de fruits | fruit salad | Pour le dessert, nous avons mangé une délicieuse salade de fruits.(For dessert, we ate a delicious fruit salad.) |
| limonade | lemonade | Je vais me faire une bonne limonade bien fraîche.(I’m going to make myself a nice cold lemonade.) |
| sorbet | sorbet | Le sorbet aux fraises est rafraîchissant.(Strawberry sorbet is refreshing.) |
| gazpacho | gazpacho | Le gazpacho est une soupe froide idéale pour l’été.(Gazpacho is an ideal cold soup for summer.) |
| pastèque | watermelon | La pastèque est un fruit rafraîchissant en été.(Watermelon is a refreshing fruit in summer.) |
| fraises | strawberries | Les fraises sont mûres en été.(Strawberries are ripe in summer.) |
| jus de fruits | fruit juice | Je bois beaucoup de jus de fruits en été.(I drink a lot of fruit juice in summer.) |
| bière | beer | Je vais boire une bière bien fraîche sur la terrasse.(I’m going to drink a very cold beer on the terrace.) |
| crêpe | crepe | Nous avons mangé des crêpes au Nutella sur la plage.(We ate Nutella crepes on the beach.) |
| grillades | grilled meats | Les grillades sont un classique de l’été.(Grilled meats are a summer classic.) |
Did You Know?
- Due to thermal expansion (an increase in the size of a material when it’s heated), the iron structure of the Eiffel Tower increases in height by about 6 inches during hot summer months!
- Every summer, Paris transforms certain sections along the Seine River into temporary beaches, complete with sand, deckchairs, and even palm trees. It’s called “Paris Plages”! Isn’t that interesting?
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How do you say “Happy summer” in French?
Ans: “Bon été!” is the simplest way to express this emotion in French.
2. What are some French expressions related to summer?
Ans: Ofcourse, here are some commonly used French expressions related to summer:
Avoir chaud: To be hot
Avoir un coup de soleil: To get a sunburn
Profiter du soleil: To enjoy the sun
Se rafraîchir: To cool off
3. What is “it is hot” in French?
Ans: Simply, you can say “Il fait chaud.” However, if it’s unbearably hot, you can use “Il fait une chaleur étouffante.” for a better impact.
