Today’s lesson examines the useful informal expression ça caille, which means “it’s freezing out” and “it’s really cold”. The verb cailler means both “to be freezing” and “to curdle”.
ça caille
It’s freezing out, it’s really cold
Pronunciation: [sa kaj]
Ça caille (It’s freezing out)
Example sentences
Ça caille aujourd’hui. Il fait moins seize degrès Celsius et je ne sors pas de la maison!
It’s freezing out today! It’s minus sixteen degrees Celsius and I’m not going out of the house!
This second example uses the masculine noun bonnet, which the English “bonnet” and winter hat.
Ça caille dehors. N’oublie pas de mettre ton bonnet !
It’s freezing outside! Don’t forget to put on your hat!
Related expressions
Il fait un froid de canard (Literally – it’s a cold of duck; It’s freezing out)
Il fait un temps glacial (Literally – it’s glacial weather; It’s very cold out)
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