Feeling cold and warming up | Learn French in English

About This Lesson

Use Feeling cold and warming up to practice French conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

J'ai froid maintenant.

zhay FRWAH meh(n)-tuh-NAH(n) I feel cold now.

Enveloppe-toi dans cette couverture chaude.

ahn-vuh-LOHP-twah dah(n) set koo-vair-TEWR SHOH Wrap yourself in this warm blanket.

J'ai aussi froid aux mains.

zhay oh-SEE FRWAH oh meh(n) My hands are cold too.

Tiens cette tasse chaude pendant un moment.

tyeh(n) set TASS SHOH pahn-DAH(n) uh(n) moh-MAH(n) Hold this warm cup for a while.

Ça aide un peu.

sah ED uh(n) PUH That helps a little.

Assieds-toi sur le canapé et repose-toi.

ah-SYAY-twah sewr luh ka-na-PAY ay ruh-POHZ-twah Sit on the sofa and rest.

La pièce semble plus chaude maintenant.

lah PYEHSS sah(n)bl pllew SHOH meh(n)-tuh-NAH(n) The room feels warmer now.

Je vais fermer la fenêtre pour que ça reste comme ça.

zhuh vay fehr-MAY lah fuh-NETR poor kuh sah REST kohm sah I'll close the window so it stays that way.

Word by Word

J'ai In “J'ai froid”, “J'ai” means I have, but the whole expression means I feel cold. This is a common way to talk about feeling cold in French.

froid In “J'ai froid”, “froid” means cold and describes the speaker’s physical feeling. Reuse it with “J'ai” in the same expression when saying that you feel cold.

maintenant “Maintenant” means now, referring to the present moment in “J'ai froid maintenant”. It can be placed at the end of a sentence to show when something is happening.

Enveloppe “Enveloppe” is a direct instruction to wrap or cover someone, as in “Enveloppe-toi”. Use it with “toi” when telling one person to wrap themselves.

toi In “Enveloppe-toi”, “toi” refers to the person being told to wrap themselves. Together with “Enveloppe”, it forms a direct instruction addressed to one person.

dans “Dans” means in or inside and shows where the person should wrap themselves in “dans cette couverture chaude”. It commonly introduces the place or thing that contains someone or something.

cette “Cette” means this and points to the specific blanket in “cette couverture chaude”. It comes before the noun it identifies.

couverture “Couverture” means blanket in “cette couverture chaude”. It can be used after a demonstrative word such as “cette” to identify a particular blanket.

chaude “Chaude” means warm in “cette couverture chaude”. Its form matches the feminine noun “couverture” in this phrase.

aussi “Aussi” means also or too in “J'ai aussi froid aux mains”, adding the hands to the earlier statement about feeling cold. Here it appears after “J'ai” and before “froid”.

aux In “froid aux mains”, “aux” introduces the body area affected by the cold. It is the form used before the plural noun “mains” in this expression.

mains “Mains” means hands in “J'ai aussi froid aux mains”. The phrase “froid aux mains” says that the cold is felt in the hands.

Tiens “Tiens” is a direct instruction to hold something, as in “Tiens cette tasse chaude”. Use it when telling one person to keep hold of an object.

tasse “Tasse” means cup in “cette tasse chaude”. It can be used after “cette” to refer to a particular cup.

pendant “Pendant” introduces the duration in “pendant un moment”. Together, “pendant un moment” means for a while or for a moment.

un In “un moment”, “un” means a and introduces one unspecified moment. It comes directly before the noun “moment” in this duration expression.

moment “Moment” means moment or short period in “pendant un moment”. The pattern “pendant un moment” is used when an action continues for a short time.

Ça At the start of “Ça aide un peu”, “Ça” means that or it and refers to the warming action just mentioned. The same word appears as “ça” later in “pour que ça reste comme ça” because it is not at the start of a sentence.

aide “Aide” means helps in “Ça aide un peu”, describing the effect of what the other person suggested. The reusable pattern “Ça aide” says that something is helpful.

peu “Peu” indicates a small amount in “un peu”; the whole expression “un peu” means a little. It can follow a verb to show that the effect is limited.

Assieds “Assieds” is a direct instruction to sit in “Assieds-toi”. With “toi”, it tells one person to sit down.

sur “Sur” means on and introduces the surface in “sur le canapé”. Use it before the place where someone sits or rests.

le “Le” means the and identifies the specific sofa in “le canapé”. It comes before the noun it determines.

canapé “Canapé” means sofa in “sur le canapé”. The phrase “sur le canapé” gives the place where someone should sit.

et “Et” means and and links the two instructions in “Assieds-toi sur le canapé et repose-toi”. It connects actions that are both being requested.

repose “Repose” is a direct instruction to rest in “repose-toi”. With “toi”, it tells one person to rest themselves.

La “La” means the and identifies the specific room in “La pièce”. It appears before the noun it determines.

pièce “Pièce” means room in “La pièce semble plus chaude maintenant”. It is the subject being described as warmer.

semble “Semble” means seems or appears in “La pièce semble plus chaude maintenant”. It presents the room as appearing warmer rather than stating the change as a direct action.

plus “Plus” marks the comparison in “plus chaude”, giving the meaning warmer. It comes before the adjective being compared.

Je “Je” means I and identifies the person who will close the window in “Je vais fermer la fenêtre”. It is placed before the verb phrase.

vais In “Je vais fermer”, “vais” helps express an action the speaker is going to do. The pattern “Je vais” is followed here by the infinitive “fermer”.

fermer “Fermer” means to close in “Je vais fermer la fenêtre”. It follows “Je vais” to name the action the speaker intends to carry out.

fenêtre “Fenêtre” means window in “fermer la fenêtre”. The phrase “fermer la fenêtre” describes closing the window.

pour “Pour” contributes the purpose in “pour que ça reste comme ça”. With “que”, the whole expression means so that and introduces the intended result.

que In “pour que ça reste comme ça”, “que” introduces the clause describing the intended result. The complete construction “pour que” means so that here.

reste “Reste” means stays or remains in “ça reste comme ça”. It describes the condition continuing without changing.

comme In “comme ça”, “comme” means like or as and helps describe the way something is. Together, “comme ça” means like this or that way.

Grammar Points

Impératif avec pronom réfléchi : enveloppe-toi, assieds-toi, repose-toi

Enveloppe-toi, assieds-toi, repose-toi.

ahn-vuh-LOHP-twah, ah-SYAY-twah, ruh-POHZ-twah

Wrap yourself up, sit down, and rest.

À l’impératif affirmatif, le pronom réfléchi se place après le verbe et s’attache avec un trait d’union.

Comparatif : plus + adjectif

La pièce semble plus chaude.

lah PYEHSS SAH(N)BL pllew SHOH(D)

The room seems warmer.

Pour comparer, on place plus devant l’adjectif. L’adjectif s’accorde avec le nom : chaude avec pièce.

French Vocabulary

aide verb

ED helps

Ça aide un peu.

assieds-toi verb

ah-SYAY-twah sit down

Assieds-toi sur le canapé.

aussi adv

oh-SEE also; too

J'ai aussi froid aux mains.

chaude adj

SHOH(D) warm

cette couverture chaude

couverture noun

koo-vair-TEWR blanket

Enveloppe-toi dans cette couverture chaude.

enveloppe-toi verb

ahn-vuh-LOHP-twah wrap yourself

Enveloppe-toi dans cette couverture chaude.

froid adj

FRWAH cold

J'ai froid maintenant.

maintenant adv

meh(n)-tuh-NAH(n) now

J'ai froid maintenant.

pendant un moment phrase

pahn-DAH(n) uh(n) moh-MAH(n) for a while

Tiens cette tasse chaude pendant un moment.

tasse noun

TASS cup

cette tasse chaude

tiens verb

tyeh(n) hold

Tiens cette tasse chaude pendant un moment.

un peu phrase

uh(n) PUH a little

Ça aide un peu.

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

I feel cold now.

Show Answer

J'ai froid maintenant.

Wrap yourself in this warm blanket.

Show Answer

Enveloppe-toi dans cette couverture chaude.

My hands are cold too.

Show Answer

J'ai aussi froid aux mains.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

blanket

Show Answer

couverture

now

Show Answer

maintenant

cup

Show Answer

tasse

cold

Show Answer

froid