il neige
The English phrase "snowing" is translated to French as il neige.
il neige is the most commonly used phrase for "It is snowing" in French. You can also use the phrase il neige à gros flocons to express that "It's snowing heavily".
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase Il tombe des flocons de neige literally means "Snowflakes are falling".
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the impersonal pronoun il (it), which functions as a dummy subject for weather rather than referring to a person. To express that it was snowing in the past (imperfect tense), change the verb to il neigeait. To express that it snowed as a completed event in the past, use the passé composé form il a neigé.
Did you know?
- The word neige is a 'deverbal' noun, meaning it was created from the verb neiger rather than the other way around.
- In French, avoir la neige jusqu'aux genoux is a vivid way to describe a heavy snowfall, literally meaning 'to have snow up to the knees'.
- While neige is the standard word for 'snow', the word niveux is used in technical or geographical contexts to describe things related to snow, such as the 'niveous' zone of a mountain.
Examples in context
- Oh, il neige !Oh, it's snowing!This sentence is useful for expressing sudden realization or excitement about the snow using il neige.Tatoeba #3869246 by gillux, translation #3870930 by eperparfe
- Mais il neige !But it's snowing!This sentence is useful for expressing contrast or contradiction regarding the snow using il neige.Tatoeba #6940318 by felix63, translation #6942460 by kaiperkins271
- Enfin il neige !Finally, it's snowing!This sentence is useful for expressing relief or long-awaited arrival of snow using il neige.Tatoeba #8281650 by marioo, translation #1405194 by Ricardo14
- 55 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Gabriel are looking out the window of their apartment.
- LéaRegarde, il neige dehors !Look, it is snowing outside!
- GabrielOui, il neige beaucoup.Yes, it is snowing a lot.
- LéaIl neige très fort maintenant.It is snowing very hard now.
- GabrielOn devrait rester à la maison.We should stay at home.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries il, neige, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
