Definition
To rain; to fall from the sky as water drops. Used to describe rainy weather.
Example
Il pleut beaucoup en automne dans cette région.
Show translation
It rains a lot in autumn in this region.
Etymology
From Old French *plovoir*, from Latin *plovere*, a variant of *plūere* ("to rain"), from Proto-Indo-European *plew-* ("to flow, float"). Related to English *flow* and *pluvial*.
Cultural note
Rain is a famously central topic in French conversation, much as in British culture. The French have a rich set of rain expressions: *il pleut des cordes* ("it's raining ropes") means it's pouring, equivalent to "raining cats and dogs." Note also the noun *la pluie* (rain) and the adjective *pluvieux* (rainy). *Pleuvoir* is a defective verb — it is almost exclusively used in the third-person singular with the impersonal subject *il*: *il pleut* (it's raining).