il faisait chaud
The English phrase "it was hot" is translated into French as il faisait chaud.
This phrase is used to describe the high temperature of the weather in the past.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, il faisait chaud means "it was making heat". This is because the French verb faire (to do/make) is used to express weather conditions.
How does it change in a sentence?
There is a grammatical distinction between using the imperfect and the perfect tense. Il faisait chaud is used to describe a continuous state or a background setting in the past. In contrast, il a fait chaud is used to describe a completed period of heat or a specific event.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using il était chaud to describe the weather. While this might seem like a direct translation from English, in French, il était chaud would imply that a specific object or person was physically hot to the touch.
Did you know?
- Using il était chaud to describe a person can be interpreted as a sexual connotation, meaning the person is 'hot' or aroused.
- In casual French, if you describe a person as being chaud, you are not saying they have a high body temperature, but rather that they are 'down' or extremely enthusiastic to participate in an activity.
- The word chaud is derived from the Latin 'calidus', which is also the root of the English word 'caloric'.
Examples in context
- Il faisait chaud dans la tente.It was hot inside the tent.This sentence shows how to use il faisait chaud to describe the temperature inside a tent.Tatoeba #6461944 by GB3, translation #5360532 by Hybrid
- Il faisait chaud la nuit dernière.It was hot last night.This sentence shows how to use il faisait chaud to refer to the heat from the previous night.Tatoeba #8252 by sacredceltic, translation #244845 by CK
- Il faisait chaud aujourd'hui, n'est-ce pas ?It was hot today, wasn't it?This sentence shows how to use il faisait chaud when asking for confirmation about the heat experienced earlier today.Tatoeba #13326800 by genes1s, translation #10839400 by ddnktr
- Il faisait chaud pendant l'été. Les températures étaient autour de 30 degrés Celsius.It was hot during the summer. The temperatures were around 30 degrees Celsius.
- Il y avait une chaleur étouffante hier ! J'étais en nage toute la journée.There was a stifling heat yesterday! I was sweating all day long.
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Hugo are talking about their walk in the park yesterday.
- HugoTu te souviens de notre promenade ?Do you remember our walk?
- LéaOui, mais il faisait chaud.Yes, but it was hot.
- HugoC'est vrai, j'avais très soif.That's true, I was very thirsty.
- LéaMoi aussi, j'ai bu beaucoup d'eau.Me too, I drank a lot of water.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries chaud, il, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
