Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| météo | /me.te.o/ | feminine |
| prévision météo | feminine | |
| prévision météorologique | feminine |
These terms are used to describe a prediction of future weather conditions. Other useful expressions include Il fait du vent (It's windy) and Il neige légèrement (It's lightly snowing).
Which one should you use?
météo is a common shortening used in everyday conversation, whereas prévision météorologique is the formal, technical way to refer to a forecast, typically found in scientific or official contexts.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
météo is informal and used in daily speech. In contrast, prévision météorologique is a formal term used for official or technical purposes.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the south of France, you may hear the expression Il fait cagnard to mean "It's scorching hot."
How does it change in a sentence?
Although météo is an abbreviation of météorologie, it is treated as a feminine noun in French.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of météo is /me.te.o/ and consists of three syllables.
When do people say it?
The phrase bulletin météo is frequently used to refer specifically to the weather report segment seen on television or heard on the radio.
Did you know?
- In France, the term météo is so pervasive that it has become a standalone noun. While English speakers use 'weather' for the state of the atmosphere, a French person saying la météo is almost always referring specifically to the forecast.
- The word météo has its roots in the Ancient Greek word 'meteōros', which originally described celestial bodies or phenomena in the sky.
- To describe the action of forecasting, French speakers use the verb prévoir, which literally means 'to see in advance'.
Examples in context
- La météo s'est trompée.The weather forecast was wrong.This sentence shows how to say the weather forecast was wrong using météo.Tatoeba #10504681 by lbdx, translation #10497773 by sundown
- C'est l'heure de la météo.Now it's time for the weather forecast.This sentence shows how to announce the time for the weather forecast using météo.Tatoeba #1602104 by sacredceltic, translation #1602098 by jathonjet
- Qu'a dit le bulletin météo ?What was the weather forecast?This sentence shows how to ask about the weather report using météo.Tatoeba #1188379 by sacredceltic, translation #11031352 by sundown
- La prévision météorologique pour demain annonce des averses toute la journée.The weather forecast for tomorrow predicts showers all day.
- Qu'est-ce que la prévision du temps dit pour ce weekend? Il va faire beau?What does the weather forecast say for this weekend? Will it be nice?
- 31 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Hugo are checking their phones before going for a walk.
- EmmaTu as regardé la météo ?Did you check the weather forecast?
- HugoOui, il va pleuvoir toute l'après-midi.Yes, it is going to rain all afternoon.
- EmmaAh, quel dommage pour notre promenade.Ah, what a shame for our walk.
- HugoOn peut rester à la maison alors.We can stay at home then.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “weather forecast” translations and entries météo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries météo, météorologique, prévision, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
