How to say “heat wave” in French
3 phrases · Tourist, Learner, and Local levels · with pronunciation
C'est la canicule !
🔊 Seh la ka-nee-KOOL
Literally: “It's the heat wave!”
💡 canicule = heat wave. THE French word for extreme heat. From Latin canicula (little dog — the Dog Star Sirius, associated with the hottest days).
On est en pleine canicule, buvez beaucoup d'eau et restez à l'ombre.
🔊 On eh tahn plehn ka-nee-KOOL, boo-VAY boh-KOO DOH ay res-TAY ah LOHM-bruh
Literally: “We're in the middle of a heat wave, drink lots of water and stay in the shade.”
💡 Practical. canicule is used every summer in French media — it's the go-to word.
Il fait une chaleur étouffante — on crève, même à l'ombre ça ne soulage pas.
🔊 Eel feh oon sha-LUR ay-too-FAHNT — on krehv, mehm ah LOHM-bruh sa nuh soo-LAZH pah
Literally: “The heat is suffocating — we're dying, even in the shade it doesn't help.”
💡 étouffante = suffocating/stifling; on crève = we're dying (very colloquial, strong); même à l'ombre = even in the shade. French heat complaint at its most expressive.
About these French phrases
These French weather phrases cover three levels of fluency for expressing heat wave conditions. The Tourist phrase is what any beginner can use immediately. The Learner phrase sounds natural in everyday conversation. The Local phrase uses authentic idioms and expressions that native speakers actually use — the kind of phrase that makes locals smile when they hear a foreigner use it.
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