Choosing clothes for changing weather | Learn French in English

Sentence explanations

1. Le temps change tout le temps cette semaine.

   The weather keeps changing this week.

   Le temps

   the weather

   change

   changes

   tout le temps

   all the time

   cette semaine

   this week

   More detail

   Le temps means “the weather” here. In French, temps can also mean “time,” so the surrounding meaning matters; this sentence clearly uses the weather sense. The article le is masculine singular, matching the grammatical gender of temps. Example: Le temps est froid. — “The weather is cold.” change is the present-tense form of changer for a third-person singular subject: il/elle change. It means “changes” here, describing an ongoing or recurring situation. The subject is Le temps, so the singular verb form is used. Example: Le temps change rapidement. — “The weather changes quickly.” Tout le temps is a reusable expression meaning “all the time” or “constantly.” It emphasizes repeated change rather than a single change. In this sentence it follows change and strengthens the idea that the weather keeps changing. Example: Elle travaille tout le temps. — “She works all the time.” Cette semaine means “this week.” Cette is the feminine singular form of the demonstrative adjective associated with the feminine noun semaine; compare ce with a masculine singular noun, as in ce mois (“this month”). The phrase sets the time period in which the repeated changes are occurring. Example: Je travaille cette semaine. — “I am working this week.” Together, Le temps change says “the weather changes,” tout le temps adds “all the time,” and cette semaine limits that description to the current week. The complete utterance means: “The weather keeps changing this week.”

2. Mets plusieurs couches pour pouvoir t'adapter pendant la journée.

   Wear layers so you can adjust during the day.

   Mets

   Wear

   plusieurs

   several

   couches

   layers

   pour pouvoir

   to be able to

   t'adapter

   adjust

   journée

   day

   More detail

   Mets is the second-person singular imperative of mettre, whose basic meaning is “to put.” Here, with clothing, it means “wear” or “put on.” The useful form chain is mettre → tu mets (you put/wear) → mets ! (put on!/wear!). plusieurs means “several” and indicates an unspecified number greater than one; it does not give an exact count. It is a determiner placed before the plural noun it describes. couches is the plural of the feminine noun couche, “layer.” The plural ending -s shows that more than one layer is intended. Example: une couche légère means “a light layer.” pour pouvoir introduces a purpose: “in order to be able to” or, in this sentence, “so you can.” pouvoir is the infinitive “to be able to/can.” A useful pattern is pour pouvoir + infinitive: Je pars tôt pour pouvoir arriver à l'heure. — “I leave early so I can arrive on time.” t'adapter contains te shortened to t' before the vowel of adapter. The full reflexive infinitive is s'adapter, “to adapt” or “to adjust oneself”; with tu, it becomes t'adapter. In pouvoir t'adapter, the understood subject is the same person addressed by Mets: “you can adjust.” journée is the feminine noun “day” or “daytime,” especially the course or duration of a day. It is different from jour, which more generally means “day” and can also refer to a calendar day. Here, pendant la journée means “during the day”: pendant expresses the time period, while la journée names that period. Together, Mets plusieurs couches means “Wear several layers.” pour pouvoir t'adapter gives the purpose—“so you can adjust”—and pendant la journée specifies when the adjustment may be needed: “during the day.” The complete meaning is: “Wear layers so you can adjust during the day.”

3. Est-ce que je dois aussi prendre une veste chaude ?

   Should I bring a warm jacket too?

   Est-ce que je dois

   Do I have to …?

   prendre

   bring

   aussi

   too

   veste

   jacket

   chaude

   warm

   More detail

   Est-ce que je dois turns the statement je dois (“I must / I need to”) into a yes-or-no question. dois is the present-tense first-person singular form of devoir; the subject is je. The pattern Est-ce que je dois + infinitive ? is a reusable way to ask whether the speaker needs to do something. For example: Est-ce que je dois attendre ? — “Do I need to wait?” prendre is an infinitive. Here, the context makes its meaning “bring,” but prendre commonly has other context-dependent meanings such as “take” or “have.” After je dois, the following verb remains in the infinitive: je dois prendre — “I must bring.” aussi means “too” or “also.” It adds this item or action to something already under discussion; it does not itself express the obligation. veste is a feminine noun meaning “jacket.” Its singular indefinite form is une veste; its plural form is des vestes. The feminine article and adjective form in this sentence match the noun. chaude means “warm” here and describes veste. It is the feminine singular form of the adjective chaud: chaud with a masculine singular noun, chaude with a feminine singular noun. For example: un manteau chaud — “a warm coat”; une écharpe chaude — “a warm scarf.” Together, Est-ce que je dois prendre asks whether the speaker needs to bring something, aussi adds it to the previously discussed clothing, and une veste chaude identifies that item. The whole utterance means: “Should I bring a warm jacket too?”

4. Prends-en une pour le matin.

   Bring one for the morning.

   Prends-en

   take some of it/them

   une

   one

   matin

   morning

   More detail

   Prends-en combines prends, the second-person singular imperative of prendre, with the object pronoun en. In this sentence, prendre is understood as “bring” because the context is about bringing a jacket. In an affirmative command, the subject tu is omitted and the pronoun follows the verb with a hyphen. The infinitive is prendre; prends is its tu imperative form. Here en refers to the item already under discussion and, together with une, selects one item from that set. The sequence is en ... une, as in J’en prends une. — “I’ll take one.” The supplied context identifies the item as the jacket, veste. une is a feminine singular pronoun meaning “one” here. Its feminine form matches the omitted noun veste (“jacket”). In this sentence it does assert a selection of one item; the form can also be used with a noun, as in une veste (“a jacket”). Example: J’en veux une. — “I want one.” matin means “morning.” It is a masculine singular noun, which is why the phrase has le: le matin. The preposition pour makes pour le matin mean “for the morning.” Example: Je travaille le matin. — “I work in the morning.” Together, Prends-en une means “Bring one,” with en referring back to the item under discussion and une selecting one item. pour le matin specifies the intended time. The complete utterance is “Bring one for the morning.”

5. Alors, garde-la avec toi plus tard s'il fait plus chaud.

   Then carry it later if it gets warmer.

   Alors

   then

   garde-la

   carry it

   avec toi

   with you

   plus tard

   later

   s'il fait plus chaud

   if it gets warmer

   More detail

   Alors means “then” here and links this instruction to what came before. It is a connective adverb; it does not itself express the time of the carrying. garde-la contains the imperative garde, from garder (“to keep” or “to carry/keep with you” in this context), plus la, a feminine singular direct-object pronoun. The imperative is addressed to tu; French uses the verb form garde for this positive command. In this sentence, the object is not identified more specifically than the “it” in the translation. In positive commands, the object pronoun follows the verb and is joined with a hyphen: Garde-la ! — “Keep it!” avec toi means “with you.” toi is the stressed form used after the preposition avec; compare avec moi (“with me”) and avec lui (“with him”). Together with garde-la, it makes the reusable pattern garder quelque chose avec soi: “to keep/carry something with oneself.” plus tard means “later.” It is a time expression and applies to the carrying action: the instruction is to do it later, not immediately. s'il fait plus chaud means “if it gets warmer.” s'il is the contracted form of si (“if”) plus il (“it” here in the impersonal weather expression). faire chaud is the French weather pattern for “to be warm”; plus chaud is its comparative form, meaning “warmer” than before or than the relevant reference point. The adjective chaud has the base form chaud and the comparative pattern plus chaud. After si, French commonly uses the present tense for a possible condition, even when the English translation uses “gets” or refers to a later situation. Here fait is the present form of faire, and the phrase does not by itself specify exactly when the warmer weather will occur. As a whole, Alors introduces the instruction, garde-la avec toi says to keep or carry the item with you, plus tard places that action later, and s'il fait plus chaud gives the condition. The complete meaning is: “Then carry it later if it gets warmer.”

6. J'ai aussi besoin de chaussures dans lesquelles je peux marcher facilement.

   I also need shoes that are easy to walk in.

   J'ai … besoin de

   need

   aussi

   also

   chaussures

   shoes

   dans lesquelles

   in which

   je peux

   I can

   marcher

   walk

   facilement

   easily

   More detail

   J'ai ... besoin de is the French construction for “I need ...”, built with avoir besoin de. Here J'ai is the first-person singular present form of avoir, and besoin is the noun “need”; de introduces what is needed. Example: J'ai besoin d'eau. — “I need water.” Before a vowel, de becomes d'. aussi means “also” and adds this need to another one. Its position here, after J'ai, is natural. Example: J'ai aussi besoin de temps. — “I also need time.” chaussures is the plural of chaussure, “shoe.” In this sentence it means shoes, without specifying their exact number beyond the plural form. Example: J'ai besoin de chaussures. — “I need shoes.” French can also use a determiner when one is intended, as in J'ai besoin d'une chaussure (“I need one shoe”) or J'ai besoin de mes chaussures (“I need my shoes”); the form here is the bare plural after besoin de. dans lesquelles means “in which” here and introduces information about the shoes. lesquelles is the feminine plural form of the relative pronoun lequel; it agrees with the plural feminine noun chaussures, while dans expresses the relation “in.” The phrase identifies shoes in which the person can walk. Comparable forms include dans lequel with a masculine singular antecedent and dans lesquels with a masculine plural antecedent. Example: Voici les bottes dans lesquelles je marche. — “Here are the boots that I walk in.” je peux means “I can.” peux is the first-person singular present form of pouvoir, “to be able to/can”; it is not an inflection of marcher. Pouvoir is followed by an infinitive. Example: Je peux venir. — “I can come.” marcher is the infinitive “to walk.” After the conjugated modal verb peux, it remains in the infinitive. Example: Je peux marcher. — “I can walk.” facilement means “easily.” It is an adverb related to the adjective facile (“easy”) and describes how the walking happens. The adjective describes a noun, whereas the adverb describes an action. Example: Elle marche facilement. — “She walks easily.” Together, J'ai aussi besoin de chaussures means “I also need shoes.” The relative clause dans lesquelles je peux marcher facilement specifies the kind of shoes: they are shoes in which the speaker can walk easily. The complete utterance means, “I also need shoes that are easy to walk in.”

7. Choisis une paire légère avec une semelle qui accroche bien si les chemins sont mouillés.

   Choose a light pair with a solid grip in case the paths are wet.

   Choisis

   choose

   paire

   pair

   légère

   lightweight

   semelle

   sole

   accroche bien

   grips well

   chemins

   paths

   mouillés

   wet

   More detail

   Choisis is the imperative of choisir (“to choose”) for tu: choisir → tu choisis → choisis !. The imperative gives a direct instruction. Example: Choisis cette paire. — “Choose this pair.” paire means “pair” here, referring to one pair of footwear. It is a feminine noun, which is why the article is une. Example: une paire de chaussures — “a pair of shoes.” légère describes paire and means “lightweight” here. It is the feminine singular form of léger: léger (masculine singular), légère (feminine singular), légers (masculine plural), légères (feminine plural). The adjective agrees with the noun it describes, so une paire légère has feminine singular agreement. semelle means “sole,” the part of a shoe that contacts the ground. It is feminine: une semelle. Example: La semelle est épaisse. — “The sole is thick.” accroche bien means “grips well” here. accroche is the third-person singular present form of accrocher, and bien modifies it by expressing effective gripping. In une semelle qui accroche bien, the relative word qui makes the sole the subject of accroche. Example: Cette semelle accroche bien sur la pierre. — “This sole grips well on stone.” chemins means “paths” and is the plural of chemin. The plural is marked by -s: un chemin → des chemins. Example: Les chemins sont étroits. — “The paths are narrow.” mouillés means “wet” here. It is the masculine plural form of mouillé, agreeing with chemins: un chemin mouillé → des chemins mouillés. The adjective describes the paths as wet; it does not itself express the gripping quality. Together, Choisis une paire légère means “Choose a lightweight pair.” avec une semelle qui accroche bien adds the desired feature: the pair should have a sole that grips well. Finally, si les chemins sont mouillés gives the condition under which this feature matters: “if the paths are wet.” The complete utterance is therefore: “Choose a lightweight pair with a sole that grips well if the paths are wet.”

8. Ça devrait aller s'il fait plus chaud dans l'après-midi.

   That should work if the afternoon warms up.

   Ça devrait aller

   That should work

   s'il fait

   if it is (weather expression)

   plus chaud

   warmer

   l'après-midi

   the afternoon

   More detail

   Ça devrait aller is a common reusable expression meaning that something is likely to be okay, suitable, or successful. Here, ça refers to the situation under discussion, and aller is the infinitive after devrait. Devrait is the third-person singular conditional form of devoir; in this expression, the conditional gives the idea “should” or “is expected to.” Example: Ça devrait marcher. — “That should work.” s'il fait combines si (“if”) with il (“it”); before il, si is elided to s'. Here, il fait is the impersonal weather construction with the verb faire, so il does not refer to a particular person. Fait is the present-tense third-person singular form of faire. Example: S'il fait froid, je prends un manteau. — “If it is cold, I take a coat.” plus chaud means “warmer.” Chaud is the base form meaning “warm” or “hot,” and plus chaud is its comparative form. In faire plus chaud, French describes the weather impersonally; the natural meaning is “it is warmer” or “it gets warmer.” Here, chaud appears in the masculine singular form used in this impersonal expression. Example: Il fait plus chaud en été. — “It is warmer in summer.” l'après-midi means “the afternoon.” L' is the elided form of the definite article before a vowel. The noun après-midi is conventionally masculine here, so the unelided article would be le; the elision hides that gender in the written form. It is also used as a time expression, as in Je travaille l'après-midi. — “I work in the afternoon.” Together, s'il fait plus chaud l'après-midi means “if it is warmer in the afternoon” or, in the fixed translation, “if the afternoon warms up.” The complete utterance therefore says that the situation under discussion should be suitable if the weather becomes warmer in the afternoon: “That should work if the afternoon warms up.”

9. Alors, tu pourras prendre la veste avec toi sans la trouver trop lourde.

   Then you can carry the jacket without feeling weighed down.

   Alors

   then

   tu pourras

   you will be able to

   prendre

   take; carry

   la veste

   the jacket

   avec toi

   with you

   trouver

   find

   lourde

   heavy

   More detail

   Alors means “then” here and connects this sentence with the preceding situation. It can also introduce a conclusion or transition in other contexts. tu pourras uses pouvoir (“to be able to”) in the simple future. Compare tu peux (“you can”) with tu pourras (“you will be able to” or, in a suitable context, “you can” at a future point). This is the second-person singular form, used with tu. prendre is the infinitive “to take.” After pouvoir, French uses an infinitive: tu pourras prendre means “you will be able to take.” With the jacket and the stated situation, the intended sense is “carry.” la veste means “the jacket.” veste is a feminine singular noun, so it takes the definite article la. avec toi means “with you.” toi is the stressed pronoun used after a preposition such as avec; it is different from the subject form tu. For example, tu prends means “you take,” while avec toi means “with you.” In sans la trouver, sans introduces an action that is not performed: sans + infinitive means “without …-ing.” la is a feminine singular direct-object pronoun. Here the fixed translation identifies it as referring to the jacket, so la trouver means “find it.” trouver is the infinitive “to find.” With an object and an adjective, trouver quelque chose lourd means “to find something heavy.” In this sentence, la trouver trop lourde means “to find it too heavy.” lourde means “heavy” here. It is the feminine singular form of lourd, agreeing with the feminine singular object referred to by la. The adverb trop before it means “too,” so trop lourde means “too heavy.” Together, Alors, tu pourras prendre la veste avec toi means “Then you will be able to carry the jacket with you.” sans la trouver trop lourde adds “without finding it too heavy.” The complete utterance is: “Then you can carry the jacket without feeling weighed down.”