Impersonal il: weather, il faut, il semble, il est + adjective…
Impersonal Verbs
Some verbs in French are impersonal, meaning they only use “il” as the subject.
Important concept: “il” doesn’t replace anything — it’s a “dummy” or empty subject.
Impersonal verbs are essential for talking about weather, necessity, opinions, and events.
1️⃣ Verbs of Necessity / Obligation
These verbs are used to express what must be done.
- il faut → it is necessary / one must (most important)
- il vaut mieux → it is better to
- il convient de → it is appropriate to
- il importe de → it is important to
Example: Il faut étudier tous les jours. → One must study every day.
2️⃣ Weather Verbs
These verbs describe the weather.
- pleuvoir → il pleut
- neiger → il neige
- grêler → il grêle
- venter → il vente
- geler → il gèle
- il fait beau / il fait froid / il fait chaud
Example: Il neige en hiver à Paris. → It snows in winter in Paris.
3️⃣ Impersonal Opinion Verbs
These verbs express an observation or opinion without a clear subject.
- il semble → it seems
- il paraît → it appears / apparently
- il apparaît → it appears
- il ressort (de…) → it emerges / it appears from…
Example: Il semble que tout va bien. → It seems that everything is fine.
4️⃣ Impersonal Feeling / Judgment Verbs
Often followed by que to introduce a clause:
- il est dommage de / que → it is a pity
- il est important de / que → it is important
- il est possible de / que → it is possible
- il est difficile de / que → it is difficult
- il est nécessaire de / que → it is necessary
Example: Il est important de finir vos devoirs. → It is important to finish your homework.
5️⃣ Impersonal Event Verbs
These verbs describe events that happen without a personal subject:
- il arrive → it happens
- il advient → it occurs
- il survient → it arises
Example: Il survient parfois des problèmes inattendus. → Unexpected problems sometimes arise.
6️⃣ Totally Impersonal Verbs (“Pure” Impersonals)
Some verbs are always used impersonally, with no other subject possible:
- falloir → il faut
- pleuvoir → il pleut
- neiger → il neige
These are the core impersonal verbs you’ll see and use every day.
Important Note 1
Avoid the "Je" Trap: Never try to conjugate these personally to describe your own feelings. If you want to say "I need," don't try to change il faut; instead, keep the structure fixed and add a pronoun or "de": "Il me faut..." or "Il est nécessaire pour moi de..."
Key Takeaways
- Impersonal verbs only use “il” — it’s a dummy subject.
- They are essential for discussing necessity, weather, opinions, feelings, and events.
- Some impersonal verbs are totally impersonal (falloir, pleuvoir, neiger).
- Learning these verbs lets you express common everyday ideas naturally in French.
In the app, you will find interactive exercises and quizzes tailored for this intermediate level.
Practice French conjugation for free in the Croissant Verbs app
Quizzes and spaced repetition for every tense, for free on your phone—plus short grammar guides on our Learn hub.
