ensoleillé
/ɑ̃.sɔ.lɛ.je/
The French word for sunny is ensoleillé.
ensoleillé is an adjective used to describe the weather or a specific day. While ensoleillé describes the state of being sunny, note that soleil is the noun used for the sun itself. To express that there is sunshine, you can also use the phrase il y a du soleil.
Meaning: weather, day (adj)
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adjective, ensoleillé must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. Use ensoleillée when describing a feminine noun, such as journée (day) and use ensoleillés when describing a masculine plural noun, such as temps (weather/times). In a formal context, the noun ensoleillement can be used to refer specifically to the amount of sunshine.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 4 syllables: /ɑ̃.sɔ.lɛ.je/.
Did you know?
- The phrase un coup de soleil is used to describe a sunburn, literally meaning 'a blow of sun'.
- To describe a 'sunny' personality, French speakers use the word solaire rather than ensoleillé.
- While ensoleillé describes the quality of a day, a French person might simply say il fait beau to mean it is sunny, as 'beautiful' is the default for good weather.
Examples in context
- Le temps est ensoleillé.The weather is sunny.This sentence shows how to use ensoleillé to describe the weather.Tatoeba #8714286 by Aiji, translation #1766694 by AlanF_US
- C'est un jour ensoleillé.It's a sunny day.This sentence demonstrates using ensoleillé to describe a day.Tatoeba #129477 by Sbgodin, translation #278889 by CK
- Le temps était ensoleillé hier.It was sunny yesterday.This sentence illustrates the use of ensoleillé in the past tense.Tatoeba #5419797 by Aiji, translation #2628663 by CK
- L'ensoleillement est exceptionnel aujourd'huiThe sunshine is exceptional today
- 24 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Léa are planning a walk.
- GabrielRegarde, le ciel est très ensoleillé aujourd'hui.Look, the sky is very sunny today.
- LéaC'est vrai, on devrait sortir marcher.It's true, we should go out for a walk.
- GabrielOn va passer un après-midi ensoleillé.We are going to have a sunny afternoon.
- LéaJe vais prendre mes lunettes de soleil.I will take my sunglasses.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sunny” translations and entries ensoleillé, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
