French Winter Vocabulary – L’Hiver
Winter in France brings snow-covered streets, cozy evenings by the fire, and festive holiday celebrations. But it also comes with chilly mornings, icy roads, and the need to bundle up in warm clothing. Whether you’re talking about the froid, sipping a boisson chaude, or heading to a station de ski, winter vocabulary is full of words you’ll actually use in real conversations.
In this post, you’ll discover essential French words and expressions for the season — from un pull and une écharpe to le Père-Noël and les Fêtes de fin d’année. With these terms at your fingertips, you’ll be ready to chat about cold weather, holiday traditions, and everything that makes winter special.
You can download a free PDF of this list and a lot more in my private French Grammar Library.
| la fin décembre | the end of December |
| le froid | the cold |
| le chauffage | the heating system |
| les vêtements d’hiver | winter clothing |
| un pull | a sweater |
| un gant, des gants | gloves |
| un bonnet | a beanie hat |
| une écharpe | a scarf |
| un manteau | a coat |
| se couvrir | to cover up, to dress warmly |
| le gel | frost |
| le neige | the snow |
| le blizzard | the blizzard |
| attraper froid | to catch a cold |
| un rhume | a cold |
| se moucher | to blow one’s nose |
| éternuer | to sneeze |
| avoir mal à la gorge | to have a sore throat |
| se faire vacciner | to get vaccinated |
| une boisson chaude | a hot beverage |
| une couverture | a blanket |
| un feu de cheminée | an open fire |
| avoir froid aux mains | to have cold hands |
| le verglas | ice on the road |
| raccourcir | to become shorter |
| se réchauffer | to warm up |
| un bonhomme de neige | a snowman |
| des lumières de Noël | Christmas lights |
| une décoration | a decoration |
| un cadeau | a present |
| un sapin (de Noël) | a fir tree, a Christmas tree |
| dépenser | to spend |
| célébrer | to celebrate |
| le soir de Noël | Christmas Eve |
| le Père-Noël | Santa Claus, Father Christmas |
| une bûche de Noël | a Yule log |
| se réunir | to gather |
| une station de ski | a ski resort |
| faire du ski | to ski |
| la poudreuse | powdery snow |
| un marron, une châtaigne | a chestnut |
| une remontée mécanique | a ski lift |
| une avalanche | an avalanche |
| la dinde | the turkey |
| rôtir | to roast |
| bouillir | to boil |
| frire | to fry |
| tomber en panne | to break down |
| une radiateur | a radiator |
