automne
/o.tɔn/masculine
The French word for autumn is automne.
automne is a masculine noun used to refer to the season. You can use La chute des feuilles to describe the falling of leaves and the visual changes that occur during this time, or L'automne indien to refer specifically to an Indian summer, which is a warm and sunny autumn period.
Meaning: season (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
Because automne begins with a vowel, the definite article le elides to l’, resulting in l'automne. To say 'in autumn', use the preposition en before the word, forming the phrase en automne.
How do you pronounce it?
/o.tɔn/. It has 2 syllables.
When do people say it?
The term La rentrée is used to signify the end of summer and the beginning of autumn.
Did you know?
- Before the word automne was adopted, French speakers used the phrase après août, which literally translates to 'after August'.
- In French, the letter m in automne is silent, meaning the word is pronounced as if it were spelled autone.
- The term L'automne indien is actually a cultural import from North America, used to describe the specific phenomenon of an 'Indian summer'.
Examples in context
- Elle se marie à l'automne.She's getting married this autumn.This sentence is useful for mentioning a marriage occurring in automne.Tatoeba #4221803 by sacredceltic, translation #10558844 by sundown
- L'automne fut long et doux.The autumn was long and mild.This sentence is useful for describing the duration and quality of automne.Tatoeba #942518 by U2FS, translation #942292 by spockofvulcan
- Un automne froid nous arrive.A cool autumn is coming.This sentence is useful for describing an approaching automne.Tatoeba #545030 by sacredceltic, translation #2826689 by sundown
- J'adore les couleurs de l'automneI love the colors of autumn
- La saison automnale en France est magnifiqueThe autumn season in France is magnificent
- J'adore l'automne indien, les jours sont encore ensoleillésI love the Indian summer, the days are still sunny
- J'aime l'automneI love autumn
- L'automne est arrivéAutumn has arrived
- Les arbres colorés de l'automneThe colorful trees of autumn
- L'automne est une saison remplie de mélancolie, mais aussi de beauté éphémère.Autumn is a season filled with melancholy but also ephemeral beauty.
- 95 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Manon and Nathan are talking about the weather.
- ManonTu aimes l'automne, Nathan ?Do you like autumn, Nathan?
- NathanOui, j'aime beaucoup l'automne.Yes, I like autumn a lot.
- ManonMoi aussi, c'est une belle saison.Me too, it is a beautiful season.
- NathanOui, les paysages sont magnifiques.Yes, the landscapes are magnificent.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “autumn” translations and entries automne, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries automne, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
