jour de pluie
The English phrase "rainy day" is translated into French as jour de pluie.
jour de pluie is used to describe a literal rainy day.
Meaning: literal usage (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of jour (day) and de pluie (of rain).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In France, you might use Jour de giboulées to refer specifically to a rainy day with frequent showers. In Brittany and other northwestern regions, jour de crachin is a common expression for a drizzly or misty day.
How does it change in a sentence?
To make the phrase plural to mean "rainy days", add an s to jour to get jours de pluie.
Did you know?
- In some contexts, French speakers use the verb pleuvoir to describe a jour de pluie where things are falling in abundance, such as il pleut des cordes, meaning it is raining ropes.
- A jour de pluie is often used in French literature as a symbol of melancholy or 'ennui', a feeling of listless boredom that English lacks a direct translation for.
- While jour de pluie is the literal translation, a French speaker might use the word grisaille to describe the gloomy, grey feeling of a rainy day.
Examples in context
- Qui se marie un jour de pluie a du bonheur toute la vie.Whoever gets married on a rainy day will be happy for the rest of their life.This sentence shows the phrase jour de pluie used in a proverb about marriage.Tatoeba #6165590 by felix63, translation #9365642 by shekitten
- Pour rester sec un jour de pluie, mieux vaut rester à la maison.To keep dry on a rainy day, it's better to stay at home.This sentence uses jour de pluie to suggest staying indoors to stay dry.Tatoeba #759484 by hortusdei, translation #13005835 by sundown
- On dirait que c'est un jour de gibouléesLooks like it's a day of showers
Example conversation
Manon and Gabriel are discussing their plans for the weekend.
- ManonIl va faire mauvais demain, ce sera un jour de pluie.The weather will be bad tomorrow, it will be a rainy day.
- GabrielC'est dommage, je voulais aller au parc.That's a shame, I wanted to go to the park.
- ManonOn peut regarder un film à la place.We can watch a movie instead.
- GabrielC'est une excellente idée, Manon.That is an excellent idea, Manon.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
