Fall is here, and the change in weather and temperature makes it the perfect time to introduce and practice autumn-related French clothing vocabulary with your child. So, whether you want to incorporate some French in their day-to-day or you’re looking for French homeschooling resources, here are the common clothing items that will keep your little ones toasty and dry while they have fun outdoors.
Related: Clothing vocabulary in French: winter
Related: Clothing vocabulary in French: spring
Les vêtements d’automne – Fall clothing
Rain boots, boots
Who doesn’t love jumping in muddy puddles or a big pile of leaves? Rain boots are a fall essential for mini explorers.
In French, rain boots are des bottes en caoutchouc, which translates to “rubber boots”.
When referring to regular boots, it’s “des bottes“.
A sweater
There are different ways of saying “sweater” in French.
Un chandail
Un pull (short for pull-over)
A coat, a raincoat
A coat is a must for those nippy fall days.
Un manteau
On rainier days, a raincoat or “un imperméable” may be more suitable.
Un imperméable
Pants, tights
Goodbye shorts and hello pants!
The word “pantalon” can be used both in the singular (un pantalon) and plural forms (“des pantalons“) to mean pants.
Un pantalon
Des collants
Similarly, you can use “un collant” or “des collants” to refer to tights.
A scarf
You may have heard the words “écharpe” and “foulard“. So what’s the difference between the two?
Une écharpe
Worn for warmth during the cooler months, “une écharpe” is your typical wooly or cosy scarf.
Un foulard
Worn for fashion any time of the year, “un foulard“‘ is mainly decorative.
A toque, a beanie
Une tuque
This word is more commonly used in Canada.
Un bonnet
This is the term most frequently used in other francophone areas.
Socks
Very important to keep those toes warm during outdoor activities.
Des chaussettes
Gloves
Let’s not forget about those little hands!
Des gants
How to use fall-related French clothing vocabulary in sentences
An easy way to introduce and practice these words is to say them out loud when your child is getting ready to go outside. Here are a few sentences that will help you:
If you want to jump in muddy puddles, put on your rain boots.
Si tu veux sauter dans les flaques de boue, mets tes bottes en caoutchouc.
Put on your sweater; it’s cold outside.
Mets ton chandail, il fait froid dehors.
Put on your coat; we’re going to play outside.
Enfile ton manteau, on va jouer dehors.
Do you want to choose your pants today?
Veux-tu choisir ton pantalon aujourd’hui?
Don’t forget your scarf, toque, and your gloves.
N’oublies pas ton écharpe, ta tuque et tes gants.
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