French · Nature, Animals & Weather
"It's raining" in French: il pleut
il pleut
It's raining in French is il pleut. Il is impersonal weather il. Pleuvoir is the verb; il pleut is the set present form.
Looking out the window
Regarde — il pleut déjà.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce il pleut
Say it
eel pluh
/il plø/
Il: eel. Pleut: pluh (like French eu). Together: eel pluh. Soft, short utterance.
"It's raining" in French: quick reference
| French | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| il pleut | it's raining Default weather line. | Default weather line. |
| il pleut fort | it's raining hard Heavy rain. | Heavy rain. |
| il pleut des cordes | it's pouring Idiom for torrential rain. | Idiom for torrential rain. |
| il a plu | it rained Past. | Past. |
How to use il pleut in real life
- 1Looking out the window
Regarde — il pleut déjà.
Look—it's already raining.
Déjà + il pleut.
- 2Canceling a picnic
On reporte : il pleut.
We're postponing: it's raining.
Short decision.
- 3Leaving the flat
Prends un parapluie, il pleut.
Take an umbrella, it's raining.
Advice + weather.
Mistakes English speakers make with il pleut
Incorrect: Il rain.
Correct: Il pleut.
Use pleut, not English rain.
Incorrect: Ça pleut.
Correct: Il pleut.
Weather uses impersonal il with pleuvoir.
Good to know
French small talk loves weather openers: il pleut, il fait beau. Cities keep café terraces under heaters and awnings when il pleut lightly. Des cordes means a real downpour.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Deciding whether to cycle
ChatPal
Il pleut. On prend le métro ?
It's raining. Shall we take the metro?
You
Oui, il pleut trop pour le vélo.
Yes, it's raining too much for the bike.
ChatPal
Bon. S'il pleut encore demain, même plan.
Okay. If it's still raining tomorrow, same plan.
You
D'accord, j'apporte mon ticket.
Okay, I'll bring my ticket.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"It's raining" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "It's raining" in French
How do you say it's raining in French?
Il pleut.
What is the infinitive?
Pleuvoir.
How do you say it's pouring?
Il pleut des cordes.
How do you pronounce pleut?
pluh.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
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