il fait nuageux
To say "it is cloudy" in French, you use il fait nuageux.
The phrase il fait nuageux is used to describe the weather when there are many clouds in the sky. While il fait nuageux describes the weather state, you may also use il y a des nuages to focus specifically on the presence of the clouds themselves.
Which one should you use?
Il fait nuageux describes the state of the weather, whereas il y a des nuages focuses on the presence of the clouds themselves.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase il y a des nuages uses the third-person singular form of the verb avoir.
Did you know?
- The word nuage comes from the Latin word nubes, which also gave English the word 'nimbus' used to describe rain clouds.
- In France, the phrase il fait… is used for weather, but in some regional dialects or older texts, you might see il fait gris, which literally means 'it is grey'.
- While nuageux describes a cloudy sky, French speakers often use the word couvert meaning 'covered' to describe a sky that is completely overcast.
Examples in context
- Tu veux toujours faire le pique-nique aujourd'hui? Il y a des nuages et je crains qu'il puisse pleuvoir.Do you still want to have the picnic today? There are clouds, and I'm afraid it might rain.
- Tu as vu le temps à l'extérieur? C'est gris aujourd'hui, je pense que nous n'aurons pas beaucoup de soleil.Did you see the weather outside? It's gray today, I don't think we'll have much sunshine.
Example conversation
Nathan and Léa are looking out the window.
- NathanRegarde, il fait nuageux dehors.Look, it is cloudy outside.
- LéaOui, le ciel est très gris.Yes, the sky is very grey.
- NathanPenses-tu qu'il va pleuvoir ?Do you think it is going to rain?
- LéaC'est possible, Léa pense qu'on doit prendre un parapluie.It's possible, Léa thinks we should take an umbrella.
