C’est le printemps! The sun is finally coming out, and Willy M. is here to share the French vocabulary you need to know for spring!
Springtime is here, and with it comes a whole new set of French vocabulary words you need to know if you’re hoping to get the most out of this season.
Whether you’re an intermediate student or a beginner, these essential French words will help you talk about nature, animals, and more as the days grow longer and warmer.
What Are Words Associated With Spring?
Spring in France is a time of joy and anticipation, signifying the end of winter and the beginning of warmer days. This cheerful attitude has unique expressions in the form of French words associated exclusively with spring:
- le printemps for ‘spring’
- les cieux bleus for ‘blue sky’
- la sève for ‘sap’ or ‘juice’
- la verdure for ‘greenness’ or ‘verdure’
- le zeste de soleil for ‘sliver of sunshine’
- les fleurs sauvages for ‘wildflowers’
- l’amour sauvage for ‘wild love’
These words help to capture the loveliness of this season in France – one teeming with new life, vibrant colors, and warmth which is embraced by all who call it home.
No matter the time of year, taking French lessons is a great way to boost your vocabulary skills. Sign up now and find out how much you know already by watching the video below:
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French Vocabulary Spring Words
What on earth could be lovelier than Paris in the spring? After a long cold winter, everyone is ready to get out and enjoy the warm weather. Here are ten French vocabulary words that will get your spring off to a good start. Not only will you get ten new vocab words, but I am also going to give you some tips to help you memorize them, and to put them into practice fast!
Bird
The first word on our list is the French word for Bird: l’oiseau (masculine noun)! Not only is the word oiseau poetic in its sound, it has the rise and fall (wah-zo) of a bird in flight. A group of related words are found in the popular French-Canadian song “Alouette,” a song about plucking off the feathers of a lark for waking the singer up too early!
Alouette, gentille alouette,
Alouette, je te plumerai.
Bee
The next word on our list goes along with our title, and it is the word for Bee: l’abeille (feminine noun). This word should be easy for you to remember, because it is similar to a person in English saying “a bee.” Don’t let the fact that all the bees you see flying around in the world are male drones fool you though, this little French vocabulary word is a feminine word!
Flower
The next word on our list is one that you have to have if you are going to talk about spring, and it is the world for Flower: la fleur (feminine noun). And as Pepe Le Peu would probably say, females are the flowers of the world, this petit mot is feminine as well. This one should be pretty easy to remember as our English word “flower” actually originally derived from it.
And who can have flowers without having some grass around? L’herbe (noun feminine) is the French word for grass. This one is like our word herb. Should be pretty easy to remember, and like fleur, it is also feminine.
Plant
Another word that goes along with flowers and grass is the verb to plant: planter. Planter is an -er verb, and should be conjugated as such. It shouldn’t be too difficult to remember!
More French Spring Vocabulary
A couple words that are often associated with spring are words have to do with rainy days: rain (la pluie), cloud (le nuage), and sky (le ciel). Pluie is actually a feminine word, and it’s interesting to note that very often nouns that end in ie tend to be feminine. My name is Willy, and other people spell it Willie. But a long time ago, Willy was the shortened form of William, whereas Willie was the shortened form of Wilimina. In English we have not retained this distinction, but when we did, it came to us from the French!
Le nuage and le ciel are both masculine words, so keep in mind that clouds in the sky are always masculine! But the rain that waters the feminine grass and flowers are also feminine!
But no one wants only rain in the spring. What we’ve all been looking forward to is some warm weather, and some sun to brighten our days! Chaud is the French vocabulary word for warm, and it is important to remember that it is an adjective that follows the noun. Some French adjectives precede and some follow, but the word chaud comes after the noun.
Le soleil (masculine noun) should be easy to remember as “sun” if you know that the Latin name for our sun is sol!
So there are 10 French vocabulary words that should get you started speaking French this springtime!
What Are Some Unique French Words?
France is renowned for its abundance of unique words, particularly when it comes to the seasons.
Even though they’re more rarely used in daily conversation, some of the most interesting French season-related terms include “l’ététormente” which translates to “summer torment” and describes the extreme heat and humidity often associated with France’s summer months.
Similarly, “le radotage des hivers,” or “the boringness of winter,” represents the never-ending feeling of cold and dull days often found during this time of year.
Finally, “mordiller” which means “to nip” or “to bite” is an old French word used to describe how springtime temperature fluctuations can sometimes be felt throughout one’s body.
Whether you’re an avid Francophile or simply a fan of fascinating words, these three terms are essential pieces of any French vocabulary related to the changing of the seasons.
How to Practice Spring Vocabulary French Words
Learning French vocabularly can be challenging, especially when it comes to French spring-related words. Fortunately, there are some helpful strategies you can use to practice French spring vocabulary words.
For starters, find a French spring vocabulary worksheet that focuses on French spring-related words and commit it to memory. You can also write the French words down on flashcards, in order to easily reference them throughout the day.
Additionally, take some time each day to review what you have already learned. Lastly, try to create visual representations of French spring vocabulary words or use mnemonics for easy recall.
With a little bit of practice and dedication, you will soon be able to use French spring vocabulary with ease.
Learn even more French words and improve your speaking skills by working with a French tutor! Tutors are available to work with you in-person or online via Skype. Search for your French tutor now!
Willy M. teaches guitar, ukulele, and mandolin lessons in Winston, NC. Willy studied French for over 6 years in high school and at Earlham College. He traveled to Quebec, Canada where he was able to practice with native speakers. While working as an ESL teacher for World Relief, Willy had the opportunity to translate for people from former French colonies, such as Haiti, the Congo and Vietnam. Learn more about Willy here!
Photo by Linh Nguyen
Willy M.