Seven French expressions to help you complain about the heat
As the heatwave continues, here are some handy French phrases to grumble about the heat.
C'est insupportable
It's unbearable. If you are finding the temperature a touch too warm, you might want to use this to complain to your friends and neighbours.
You could use it as la chaleur est insupportable (the heat is unbearable) or ces températures sont insupportable (these temperatures are unbearable).
Je crève de chaud
I'm dying of heat. Not literally, of course, but if you want to express something similar to the English phrases 'I'm boiling' or 'I'm roasting' this is a good one.
If you've actually been taken ill by the heat and need medical help, you would say you have insolation (sunstroke).
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Je transpire comme un boeuf
Not very elegant perhaps, but here's how to tell someone that you are sweating heavily in the heat. Roughly equivalent to the English phrase 'sweating like a pig' in French you say you are sweating like a bullock. If you want something a little more colourful, you could add Je transpire comme une pute a l'eglise (I'm sweating like a whore in church).
J'en ai marre de cette chaleur
Complaining is considered something of a hobby in France and J'en ai marre is an essential expression that you can use in any circumstances, not just when it's hot.
The expression J'en ai marre means 'I'm fed up', 'I'm sick of it' and 'It's getting on my nerves'.
So when it comes to the heat you just have to say j'en ai marre de cette chaleur (I'm fed up of this heat).
Je n'en peux plus de cette canicule
J'en peux plus means 'I can't take it anymore', 'I've had it' or 'I can't do it anymore'.
So J'en peux plus de cette canicule means, you just can't bear the heat anymore.
J'en ai ras-le-bol de cette chaleur
The delightful little term ras-le-bol means something along the lines of gloominess, despondency, despair, bleakness, 'fed-upness' or discontent in general.
It is most often used as part of the phrase en avoir ras-le-bol which when put into the first person form would be: j'en ai ras-le-bol.
That literally means "my bowl is full" and even though this might seem like it could be a good thing, it actually means 'I've had enough'.
So you might hear j'en ai ras-le-bol de cette chaleur.
Vivement la fin de l'été
The word vivement means 'wishing for' or 'I can't wait for' so people who really don't like the hot weather might be wishing autumn would come early.
If you agree you could say Vivement la fin de l'été - roll on the end of summer.
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See Also
C'est insupportable
It's unbearable. If you are finding the temperature a touch too warm, you might want to use this to complain to your friends and neighbours.
You could use it as la chaleur est insupportable (the heat is unbearable) or ces températures sont insupportable (these temperatures are unbearable).
Je crève de chaud
I'm dying of heat. Not literally, of course, but if you want to express something similar to the English phrases 'I'm boiling' or 'I'm roasting' this is a good one.
If you've actually been taken ill by the heat and need medical help, you would say you have insolation (sunstroke).
READ ALSO
-
The nine noises that will make you sound like a true French speaker
-
Fifteen French 'text speak' expressions that help you sound local
-
Five TV series that will help you speak French like the locals
Not very elegant perhaps, but here's how to tell someone that you are sweating heavily in the heat. Roughly equivalent to the English phrase 'sweating like a pig' in French you say you are sweating like a bullock. If you want something a little more colourful, you could add Je transpire comme une pute a l'eglise (I'm sweating like a whore in church).
J'en ai marre de cette chaleur
Complaining is considered something of a hobby in France and J'en ai marre is an essential expression that you can use in any circumstances, not just when it's hot.
The expression J'en ai marre means 'I'm fed up', 'I'm sick of it' and 'It's getting on my nerves'.
So when it comes to the heat you just have to say j'en ai marre de cette chaleur (I'm fed up of this heat).
Je n'en peux plus de cette canicule
J'en peux plus means 'I can't take it anymore', 'I've had it' or 'I can't do it anymore'.
So J'en peux plus de cette canicule means, you just can't bear the heat anymore.
J'en ai ras-le-bol de cette chaleur
So you might hear j'en ai ras-le-bol de cette chaleur.
Vivement la fin de l'été
The word vivement means 'wishing for' or 'I can't wait for' so people who really don't like the hot weather might be wishing autumn would come early.
If you agree you could say Vivement la fin de l'été - roll on the end of summer.
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