Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| mauvais temps | masculine | |
| gros temps | /ɡʁo tɑ̃/ | masculine |
| temps de chien | /tɑ̃ də ʃjɛ̃/ | masculine |
| temps à ne pas mettre un chien dehors | masculine | |
| temps de cochon | /tɑ̃ d(ə) kɔ.ʃɔ̃/ | masculine |
| temps de loup | /tɑ̃ d(ə) lu/ | masculine |
| temps de merde | masculine |
All these terms refer to undesirable weather, such as pluie (rain), neige (snow), orage (storm) or vent (wind).
Which one should you use?
Mauvais temps is used for neutral or formal descriptions of undesirable weather. The other forms are idiomatic or vulgar. For example, temps de chien, temps de loup and temps de cochon are colloquial expressions, while temps à ne pas mettre un chien dehors is a hyperbolic idiom. Temps de merde is a vulgar expression.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For a neutral or formal description, use mauvais temps. In more formal contexts, you might say Le temps est désagréable (The weather is unpleasant) or Nous devons faire face à de mauvaises conditions météorologiques (We must contend with adverse weather conditions). For informal situations, you can use the colloquial temps de chien, temps de loup or the slightly old-fashioned temps de cochon. If you want to be more expressive or informal, you can say Quel temps pourri! (What rotten weather!). However, avoid temps de merde in polite company as it is vulgar.
How does it change in a sentence?
All the listed forms are masculine nouns.
When do people say it?
To describe extremely heavy rain, you can use the idiom il pleut des hallebardes, which is equivalent to saying "it's raining cats and dogs".
Did you know?
- The word gros in the phrase gros temps comes from the Latin 'grossus', meaning 'thick' or 'heavy', which is why it describes 'big' or 'heavy' weather rather than just 'bad' weather.
- In many European cultures, including France, the concept of 'dog weather' is so common that it appears in several related languages, such as the Italian tempo da cani.
- The expression gros temps translates literally to 'big/fat weather', even though a learner might expect it to mean 'heavy' weather.
Examples in context
- On a eu du mauvais temps hier.We had bad weather yesterday.This sentence uses mauvais temps to describe weather that occurred in the past.Tatoeba #11397175 by lbdx, translation #244529 by CK
- Le mauvais temps affecta sa santé.The bad weather affected his health.This sentence shows how mauvais temps can be the subject of a sentence affecting health.Tatoeba #1101493 by sacredceltic, translation #680097 by Source_VOA
- Il est venu en dépit du mauvais temps.He came in spite of bad weather.This sentence demonstrates the use of mauvais temps following a preposition.Tatoeba #131520 by Archibald, translation #293481 by CK
- 59 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chloé and Nathan are discussing their weekend travel plans.
- ChloéOn risque d'avoir du mauvais temps samedi.We risk having bad weather on Saturday.
- NathanC'est dommage pour notre randonnée, Chloé.That's a shame for our hike, Chloé.
- ChloéOn peut rester à l'hôtel si le mauvais temps persiste.We can stay at the hotel if the bad weather persists.
- NathanC'est une bonne idée, Nathan est d'accord.That's a good idea, Nathan agrees.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bad weather” translations and entries gros temps, temps de chien, temps de cochon, temps de loup, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries chien, de, gros, gros temps, ne, temps, temps de chien, à, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
