French · Nature, Animals & Weather
"Sun" in French: soleil
le soleil
Sun in French is le soleil, masculine. Il y a du soleil means it is sunny. Au soleil means in the sun. Soften strong sun with crème solaire talk.
Terrace chat
Il y a du soleil, on sort ?Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce soleil
Say it
soh-LAY
/sɔ.lɛj/
Soh-LAY, stress on the end. Soft s. The eil ending sounds like ay. Soft French l. Article le: luh soh-LAY.
"Sun" in French: quick reference
| French | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| le soleil | the sun The star / sunshine source. | The star / sunshine source. |
| il y a du soleil | it's sunny Weather phrase. | Weather phrase. |
| au soleil | in the sun Sitting or walking in sunshine. | Sitting or walking in sunshine. |
| un coup de soleil | a sunburn Painful sunny-day risk. | Painful sunny-day risk. |
How to use soleil in real life
- 1Terrace chat
Il y a du soleil, on sort ?
It's sunny, shall we go out?
Il y a du soleil is the sunny line.
- 2Beach advice
Ne reste pas trop au soleil.
Don't stay in the sun too long.
Au soleil = in the sun.
- 3Morning
Le soleil se lève tôt en été.
The sun rises early in summer.
Se lever for sunrise.
Mistakes English speakers make with soleil
Incorrect: La soleil est fort.
Correct: Le soleil est fort.
Soleil is masculine.
Incorrect: Il fait soleil.
Correct: Il y a du soleil. / Il fait beau.
Prefer il y a du soleil; il fait soleil is less standard.
Good to know
Terraces fill when le soleil appears after gray weeks. Southern France celebrates strong sun; northern talk may treat a sunny day as an event worth mentioning twice.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Choosing seats on a café terrace
ChatPal
On s'assoit au soleil ou à l'ombre ?
Shall we sit in the sun or in the shade?
You
Au soleil, j'ai un peu froid.
In the sun—I'm a bit cold.
ChatPal
D'accord. Le soleil réchauffe bien.
Okay. The sun warms you up nicely.
You
Oui. J'adore le soleil au printemps.
Yes. I love the sun in spring.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Sun" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Sun" in French
Is soleil masculine?
Yes: le soleil, un beau soleil.
How do I say it's sunny?
Il y a du soleil.
What is un coup de soleil?
A sunburn.
Au soleil or dans le soleil?
Au soleil is the usual phrase for in the sun.
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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