Autumn in France. France in Fall. What could be more glorious? When the thick horde of tourists leave, schools reopen for la rentrée, and the leaves change to stunning colors, it’s officially autumn.
Autumn (or fall) can be a perfect time to visit France (see Autumn in France: Where to Go?). But before you pack your bags, it’s a good idea to check out some autumn-related vocabulary.
And of course, our American readers might also be interested to learn French vocabulary related to Thanksgiving. So even though the French do not celebrate Thanksgiving (except for French- Americans or expats living in France), I’ve decided to include here also some French words and phrases related to Thanksgiving.
So, are you ready? Let’s begin!
French vocabulary: Autumn
| French | English |
|---|---|
| l'automne (masc.) | fall, autumn |
| frais | cool |
| une journée fraîche | a cool day |
| un pull | sweater |
| un manteau | coat |
| une couverture | blanket |
| des bottes | boots |
| un rhume | cold |
| une feuille | leaf |
| la pluie | rain |
| pluvieux | rainy |
| venteux | windy |
| des châtaignes | chestnuts |
| les couleurs d’automne | colours of autumn |
| Changement de couleur des feuilles | changing colors of leaves |
| équinoxe d'automne | autumnal equinox |
| le feuillage d'automne | the fall foliage |
| la chute des feuilles | the falling leaves |
| un tas de feuilles | a pile of leaves |
| le changement de saison | change of season |
| la rentrée | return from summer holidays |
| retour à l'école | back to school |
| un ratêau | a rake |
| un feu de joie | a bonfire |
FRENCH PHRASEBOOK FOR TRAVELERS AND NEWBIE LEARNERS
Now for the second part. Let’s check out French words about the American Tradition, Thanksgiving.
French Vocabulary: Thanksgiving
| French | English |
|---|---|
| le jour d'action de grâce | Thanksgiving |
| jeudi | Thursday |
| novembre | November |
| le quatrième jeudi de novembre | fourth Thursday of November |
| une réunion de famille | family gathering |
| un festin, un banquet | feast, fancy meal |
| reconnaissant | grateful |
| les remerciements | thanks |
| la famille | family |
| traditionnel | traditional |
| le défilé | parade |
| le pèlerin | pilgrim |
| être reconnaissant | to be grateful |
| réunir la famille | to gather the family |
| farcir | to stuff |
| découper | to carve |
| partager | to share |
| banqueter, festoyer | to feast |
| remercier | to thank |
| les aliments / la nourriture du jour de l’action de grâce | Thanksgiving Food |
| la citrouille | pumpkin |
| la tarte à la citrouille | pumpkin pie |
| la courge | squash |
| la dinde | turkey |
| la farce | stuffing |
| les restes | leftovers |
| la tarte aux pommes | apple pie |
| le pain | bread |
| le maïs | corn |
| la canneberge | cranberry |
| la purée | mashed potatoes |
| un igname | yam |
Conclusion
It’s always a good idea to learn French vocabulary by theme, and to cover topics you are interested in.
If you want to learn more French vocabulary, grab your copy of Improving French Vocabulary, the most comprehensive French vocabulary review e-book. Check it out below.
