Ça crame: french phrases to describe when the weather is too hot

DISCOVER DIFFERENT WAYS TO DESCRIBE THE HEAT IN FRENCH With France experiencing a heatwave this week, we look at some words and expressions in French to express feeling hot and feeling

sweaty. READ MORE: HOW HOT WILL FRANCE’S HEATWAVE BE AND HOW LONG WILL IT LAST? READ MORE: SOUTH-WEST FRANCE SIZZLES: 23 DEPARTMENTS ON ‘ORANGE’ HEATWAVE ALERT IT’S HOT - IL FAIT CHAUD To

start with the basics, most people will know that in French you cannot say “it is hot” to describe the temperature, but have to use the verb “_faire_” (to do or to make), as in, “_il fait

chaud_”. You can also say “_il fait beau_” if you want to say that the weather is great. But there are many other words you can use to diversify your language or to add extra emphasis to the

fact that it is not just hot, but boiling. For example, you can say _ça crame_ or _ça brûle_, both of which mean it is burning, or burning hot. If you are in a room that is particularly hot

and stuffy or even outside when it is very humid, you could say ‘_c’est étouffant_’. There are also two very informal ways to describe when the sun is beating down, _ça cogne_ and _ça

tape_. Both these verbs mean ‘to hit’, with the ‘_ça_’ (it) referring to the sun. It is like the saying ‘the sun is hitting me’. If you want to be a bit more metaphorical then you can say il

bouillonne dehors, meaning that it is boiling outside. Or you can say, _ce temps est chaud comme l'enfer _or _c’est chaud comme un four_, meaning it is as hot as hell or it is as hot

as an oven. SWEATING CARROTS High temperatures unfortunately means a lot of sweating. There are many descriptive ways to say this in French and many of the expressions are linked to cooking.

For example, you can use the expression ‘_cuire dans son jus_’, meaning to cook in one’s juices. This expression can also be used if you have a fever. Just like in English, you can also

sweat like a pig in French, _on sue comme un porc_. A little less orthodox is the expression ‘_transpirer des carottes_’ (to sweat carrots), although not everyone in France has heard this so

you may get an odd look. RELATED ARTICLES LISTEN: CLICK MAP ALLOWS YOU TO HEAR 75 LOCAL LANGUAGES OF FRANCE AVOIR EU CHAUD AND MORE FRENCH PHRASES WITH THE WORD ‘HOT’