Fun Winter Words in French

Quick Answer

C'est l'hiver !(It's winter!) The snow is falling, and the fire is crackling. In this article, you'll learn fun vocabulary words to talk about the winter season in French, including vocabulary related to winter holidays and traditional wintertime activities!

Questions This Article Answers

How do you talk about the winter season in French?

What are some seasonal winter vocabulary words in French?

How do you talk about winter holidays in French?

What are some winter activities in French?

 winter

How Do You Talk About the Winter Season in French?

In France and Québec, or anywhere in the northern hemisphere, l'hiver(winter) is a season that includes three months of the year: décembre(December), janvier(January), and février(February). Cold weather brings with it a whole bunch of fun winter activities. Here's some key vocabulary to talk about the season!

Seasonal Winter Vocabulary Words in French

FrenchEnglish
le bonhomme de neigethe snowman
le bonnetthe winter hat
la bottethe boot
la boule de neigethe snowball
la chaussettethe sock
le chocolat chaudthe hot chocolate
la doudounethe winter jacket
l'écharpethe scarf
le feu de cheminéethe fire in the fireplace
le flocon de neigethe snowflake
le froidthe cold (temperature)
le gantthe glove
l'hiverthe winter
le hockey sur glacethe ice hockey
la lugethe sled
le manteauthe coat
la mouflethe mitten
la neigethe snow
le patinagethe ice-skating
la patinoirethe ice-skating rink
le pullthe sweater
le rhumethe cold (illness)
la tempête de neigethe snowstorm
les vacances d'hiverthe winter vacation
examples
Il y a eu une tempête de neige hier soir. Allons faire un bonhomme de neige dans le jardin !
There was a snowstorm last night. Let's go make a snowman in the yard!
Charlotte adore le patinage et Henri aime le hockey sur glace, alors nous allons souvent à la patinoire en hiver.
Charlotte loves ice-skating, and Henri likes ice hockey, so we often go to the ice-skating rink in the winter.

Winter Clothing Vocabulary in Québec

In Québec, there are different vocabulary words for some clothing items. There, you'd wear un chandail(a sweater), une tuque(a winter hat), and des mitaines(mittens).

Winter Colors in French

FrenchEnglish
argentsilver
blancwhite
bleublue
orgold
rougered
vertgreen
violetpurple
examples
Cette année, nous décorons la maison en or et en argent.
This year, we're decorating the house in gold and silver.
Les couleurs du Mardi gras en Louisiane sont le violet, le vert et l'or. On les voit partout !
Mardi Gras colors in Louisiana are purple, green, and gold. You see them everywhere!

Expand your French color palette by learning all the colors and how to use them in French with this article!

 snowy sugarhouse

Winter Weather in French

FrenchEnglish
Il fait froid.It's cold.
Il gèle.It's freezing.
Il neige.It's snowing.
Il y a du verglas.There's ice.
Il y a une tempête de neige.There's a snowstorm.
examples
Attention, il gèle aujourd'hui et il y a du verglas sur les trottoirs.
Be careful, it's freezing out today, and there's ice on the sidewalks.
Il fait froid chez nous, mais il ne neige pas souvent.
It's cold where we live, but it doesn't snow often.

How Do You Talk About Winter Holidays in French?

Following are some of the major winter holidays you might want to talk about in French!

Winter Holidays in French

FrenchEnglishNotes
la ChandeleurLa Chandeleur
or Candlemas
February 2
HanoukkaHanukkahdate varies (usually in December)
le Jour de l'AnNew Year's DayJanuary 1
Mardi grasMardi Gras
or Fat Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday
date varies (usually in February)
NoëlChristmasDecember 25
le Nouvel AnNew Year'sJanuary 1
la Saint-ValentinValentine's DayFebruary 14

Winter Holidays in the French-Speaking World

The celebration of winter holidays may not be the same in all French-speaking countries, and the holidays may be different than where you're from!

For instance, la Chandeleur is a special holiday in French culture. It originated as a religious holiday to mark the end of the Christmas season, but now it's mostly known as a day when people in France eat crêpes!

People in both France and Québec celebrate Christmas and New Year's with festivities that culminate the night before the holiday, on la veille(the eve). Typically, there's a large family meal or a party with friends and family. These feasts are called le réveillon(Christmas Eve celebrations or New Year's Eve celebrations). There's even a verb to describe this type of celebrating: réveillonner(to celebrate Christmas Eve or to celebrate New Year's Eve).

Finally, Mardi gras is a celebration deeply rooted in Catholic tradition. It refers to the Tuesday before the beginning of le carême(Lent), which is the final day to indulge before a period of fasting. Today, Mardi Gras continues to be celebrated in French cultures around the world, but it has become most famous as the final day of le Carnaval(Carnival) in places like la Louisiane(Louisiana) and la Martinique(Martinique).

Winter Holiday Vocabulary in French

FrenchEnglish
la bougiethe candle
le cadeauthe gift
la carte de vœuxthe greeting card
le chant de Noëlthe Christmas carol
le chocolatthe chocolate
la crêpethe crêpe
la décorationthe decoration
le défiléthe parade
les feux d'artificethe fireworks
le guithe mistletoe
les guirlandes lumineusesthe string lights
le houxthe holly
le jouetthe toy
minuitmidnight
le Père NoëlSanta Claus
le rennethe reindeer
le repas en famillethe family meal
le sapin de Noëlthe Christmas tree
le traîneauthe sleigh

Winter Holiday Expressions

FrenchEnglish
Bonne année !Happy New Year!
Joyeuse Saint-Valentin !Happy Valentine's Day!
Joyeuses fêtes !Happy holidays!
Joyeux Hanoukka !Happy Hanukkah!
Joyeux Noël !Merry Christmas!
Meilleurs vœux !Best wishes!
examples
Ce soir, nous mettons les guirlandes lumineuses et les décorations sur notre sapin de Noël.
Tonight, we're putting the string lights and the decorations on our Christmas tree.
À minuit, il y a des feux d'artifice et tout le monde crie : « Bonne année ! »
At midnight, there are fireworks, and everyone shouts: "Happy New Year!"

Click on this article to learn more French interjections you can use in all kinds of social situations!

What Are Some Traditional Winter Activities in French?

Here are some verbs to describe traditional winter activities in French!

Winter Activities in French

FrenchEnglish
allumer les bougiesto light the candles
boire du chocolat chaudto drink hot chocolate
décorer la maisonto decorate the house
envoyer des cartes de vœuxto send greeting cards
faire de la lugeto go sledding
faire du patinageto go skating
faire du skito go skiing
faire du snowboardto go snowboarding
offrir des cadeauxto give gifts
ouvrir des cadeauxto open gifts
pelleter la neigeto shovel snow
examples
Maman et Papa pellettent la neige pendant que les enfants font de la luge.
Mom and Dad are shoveling snow while the children go sledding.
Monique n'aime pas faire du ski. Elle préfère rester au chalet et boire du chocolat chaud près du feu.
Monique doesn't like to go skiing. She prefers to stay at the ski lodge and drink hot chocolate by the fire.

Learn other sports-related vocabulary by checking out this article!

A Conversation in Winter

Let’s look at a conversation between two friends talking about their winter weekend plans!

Charlotte:
Il va neiger ce week-end ! Allons faire du ski !
It's going to snow this weekend! Let's go skiing!
Hélène:
Je ne peux pas. Ce week-end nous allons décorer notre sapin de Noël, et j'ai encore beaucoup de cadeaux à acheter !
I can't. This weekend, we're decorating our Christmas tree, and I still have a lot of gifts to buy!
Charlotte:
Je comprends. Moi aussi j'ai du shopping à faire.
I understand. I also have shopping to do.
Hélène:
Si je ne te revois pas, je vous souhaite, à toi et à tes proches, un joyeux Noël et une bonne année !
If I don't see you again, I wish you and your loved ones a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Want to learn French vocabulary for other seasons of the year? Take a look at these articles!