il faisait du soleil
In French, "it was sunny" is expressed as il faisait du soleil.
The phrase is used to describe the weather in the past during a time when the sun was shining. While il faisait du soleil is the standard way to convey this, you can also use il y avait du soleil to literally say "there was some sun".
Which one should you use?
The phrase il faisait du soleil is the standard expression, but il y avait du soleil is another common way to say it, translating literally to "there was some sun".
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying il était ensoleillé. While English speakers often use the verb "to be" to describe the weather, French requires the use of the verb faire or y avoir to describe weather conditions.
Did you know?
- French speakers often use the expression un soleil de plomb to describe a day that was intensely hot and sunny, which literally translates to 'a sun of lead'.
- The word soleil comes from the Vulgar Latin diminutive sōliculus, which means 'little sun'.
- The phrase il faisait du soleil uses an impersonal il that does not refer to any person or thing, but serves as a grammatical placeholder common in weather expressions.
Examples in context
- Pendant nos vacances, le temps était ensoleillé tous les jours.During our vacation, the weather was sunny every day.
- C'était une journée ensoleillée parfaite pour une promenade dans le parc.It was a sunny day, perfect for a stroll in the park.
- Tu te souviens du week-end dernier ? Il faisait beau et nous avons passé la journée à la plage.Do you remember last weekend? It was beautiful, and we spent the day at the beach.
- C'était génial ! Hier, il y avait du soleil toute la journée.It was great! Yesterday, there was sun all day long.
- J'ai passé mes vacances à la campagne. Il faisait super beau temps chaque jour.I spent my vacation in the countryside. It was really great weather every day.
Example conversation
Gabriel and Emma are talking about their weekend.
- GabrielComment était le temps samedi ?How was the weather on Saturday?
- EmmaIl faisait du soleil, c'était super !It was sunny, it was great!
- GabrielTu es allée au parc, Emma ?Did you go to the park, Emma?
- EmmaOui, j'y suis allée avec mon chien.Yes, I went there with my dog.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries du, il, soleil, CC BY-SA 4.0.
