Let’s talk about something you probably never learnt in your French classroom.
French cold vocabulary.
Do you remember the “funny” child at school who would suddenly shout “Bogies!” when everyone was working quietly?
As a young teacher, I always dreaded that moment.
The good news is that this does not tend to happen in adult French classes!
The surprising news is that this week, in my online lessons, we have been talking about exactly that. Colds, sniffing, blocked noses… and yes, bogies.
Because if you are learning French for real life, you need real-life language. And that includes French cold vocabulary.
If you spend any time in France, live with French speakers, or have French grandchildren, you will hear this kind of language.
You might:
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Have a cold yourself
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Need to explain symptoms
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Hear someone sneeze
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Be offered a tissue
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Or talk about winter bugs
Yet most textbooks skip over this practical French cold vocabulary completely.
So let’s fix that.
Essential French Cold Vocabulary
Here are the core words and phrases you are likely to need:
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Un rhume = a cold
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Je suis enrhumé.e = I have a cold / I am full of the cold
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La morve = snot
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Une crotte de nez = a bogie (literally, a nose poo)
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Renifler = to sniff
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Se moucher = to blow one’s nose
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Les narines = nostrils
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J’ai le nez bouché = I have a blocked nose
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Éternuer = to sneeze
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À tes souhaits ! / À vos souhaits ! = Bless you!
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J’ai le nez qui coule = I have a runny nose
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Des Kleenex / des mouchoirs = tissues
Not glamorous. But very useful.
A Few Things to Notice
1. Je suis enrhumé.e
In French, you use être, not avoir.
So instead of saying “I have a cold”, you say:
Je suis enrhumé.e.
In some parts of the English-speaking world, you might hear “I am full of the cold”, which is structurally closer to French. It is a nice reminder that languages organise the same idea differently.
2. Se moucher
This is a reflexive verb.
Se moucher simply means “to blow one’s nose”. Like many reflexive verbs in French, it uses se because the action relates back to the subject:
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Je me mouche
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Tu te mouches
3. À tes souhaits / À vos souhaits
This is what you say when someone sneezes.
It literally means “to your wishes”, and it is the standard French equivalent of “Bless you”.
Use à tes souhaits with someone you know well, and à vos souhaits in more formal situations.
The Expression You’ll Never Forget
Une crotte de nez.
Yes, it literally translates as “a nose poo”.
French does not shy away from direct imagery.
And honestly, once you know it, you will never forget it.
Real French Is Not Always Polished
If your goal is to sound more French, you need more than polite café phrases.
You need the language of:
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Winter bugs
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Family life
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Children
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Everyday conversations
That is what builds confidence.
Because when you can handle ordinary topics, you feel more relaxed speaking.
So tell me…
…have you ever been taught this kind of French before?
À vos souhaits !
Frannie x
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