Which one should you use?
The adjective forms used to describe something as wintry are hivernal for masculine nouns and hivernale for feminine nouns.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the phrase "in winter", use the preposition en before the noun to say en hiver. When you want to say "this winter", use the demonstrative adjective cet to form cet hiver. This specific form is used because hiver is a masculine noun that begins with a mute 'h'. Additionally, the related verb hiverner means to spend the winter in a particular place, such as on holiday.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables and is pronounced /i.vɛʁ/.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using dans l'hiver to mean "in the winter", as this is an error commonly made by English speakers. Instead, use the more natural construction en hiver.
Did you know?
- The French language uses the word hiver in the idiom un hiver de tous les diables, which describes an exceptionally brutal or nightmare-ish winter.
- In French, the expression un hiver rigoureux describes a harsh winter. While 'rigorous' in English usually means strict or precise, in this context it refers to extreme cold.
- France has a specific term l'hivernage to describe the seasonal storage and maintenance of boats or caravans during the cold months.
Examples in context
- Il est né en hiver.He was born in the winter.This sentence shows how to use hiver to state a birth season.Tatoeba #11041173 by Aiji, translation #2943058 by AlanF_US
- L’hiver va être long.It's going to be a long winter.This sentence uses hiver to describe the expected duration of the season.Tatoeba #7861615 by sacredceltic, translation #6530587 by CK
- Le lac gèle en hiver.The lake freezes in winter.This sentence uses hiver to describe a natural occurrence during the season.Tatoeba #11054561 by lbdx, translation #2351246 by Adelpa
- 327 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Léa are talking about the weather while walking outside.
- LucasJe n'aime pas du tout l'hiver.I don't like winter at all.
- LéaMoi, j'adore l'hiver et la neige.Me, I love winter and the snow.
- LucasIl fait trop froid pour moi.It is too cold for me.
- LéaPourtant, l'hiver est magnifique.And yet, winter is beautiful.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “winter” translations and entries hiver, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
