How to say “raining” in French
3 phrases · Tourist, Learner, and Local levels · with pronunciation
Il pleut.
🔊 Eel pluh
Literally: “It rains.”
💡 Most basic form
Il pleut dehors, prends un parapluie.
🔊 Eel pluh duh-OR, prahn uhn pah-rah-PLWEE
Literally: “It rains outside, take an umbrella.”
💡 Practical, natural advice
Il pleut des cordes, on reste à l'intérieur !
🔊 Eel pluh day KORD, on rest ah lan-tay-RYUR
Literally: “It's raining ropes, we're staying inside!”
💡 pleut des cordes = raining ropes, classic French idiom
About these French phrases
These French weather phrases cover three levels of fluency for expressing raining 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.
Practice with audio pronunciation
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