rhume des foins
/ʁym de fwɛ̃/
The French phrase for hayfever is rhume des foins.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is a literal translation of 'hay fever', where rhume means 'cold' and foins means 'hay'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec, Canada, rhinite allergique saisonnière is used as a formal equivalent to rhume des foins.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun rhume is masculine, so the definite article used is le (le rhume des foins).
How do you pronounce it?
/ʁym de fwɛ̃/
Did you know?
- The word foin is used in the expression foutre le foin dans la place, which means to create a total mess or chaos in a room.
- The word rhume shares the same root as the English word 'rheumatism'. Both come from the Greek word for 'flow', referring to the discharge of mucus or fluids in the body.
- While an English speaker might say they 'have' hayfever, a French speaker often says they 'suffer from' it using the verb souffrir de.
Examples in context
- J'ai un rhume des foins.I have hayfever.
- Le rhume des foins est terrible en ce moment.Hayfever is terrible right now.
Example conversation
Gabriel and Manon are walking in a park.
- GabrielPourquoi est-ce que tu éternues, Manon ?Why are you sneezing, Manon?
- ManonC'est à cause du rhume des foins.It is because of hayfever.
- GabrielTu as pris tes médicaments ?Did you take your medicine?
- ManonNon, j'ai oublié mon spray.No, I forgot my spray.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry rhume des foins, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries des, rhume, CC BY-SA 4.0.
