Questions & Answers about Il fait froid en hiver.
Why do we use fait instead of est to say "it is"?
In French, when talking about the weather, we use the verb faire (to do/make) rather than être (to be). So instead of saying "it is cold," you literally say "it makes cold" (il fait froid). If you said il est froid, a French person would think you are talking about a specific object being cold to the touch!
Why is it en hiver and not au hiver?
For most seasons in French, you use the preposition en. You say en hiver (in winter), en été (in summer), and en automne (in autumn). The only exception is spring, which is au printemps.
Should I say en l'hiver since "hiver" is a noun?
No, the preposition en is usually followed directly by the noun without a definite article like le, la, or l'. Therefore, you just say en hiver.
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