Last updated on October 27th, 2026 at 09:35 am
Il pleut, il faut, il y a: you hear these in every French conversation. In each of them, il does not refer to a person or a thing. It is an empty subject, like it in it is raining. These are impersonal verbs and expressions, and once you know the main ones, a lot of everyday French becomes easier.
Key points
- An impersonal verb is only used with il, which does not refer to anything: il pleut, il faut.
- Weather verbs (pleuvoir, neiger, geler) and falloir are always impersonal.
- Some ordinary verbs can be used impersonally: il arrive que, il reste, il semble que.
- Il y a, il s’agit de and il est + adjective + de are among the most useful structures in French.
What is an impersonal verb?
An impersonal verb is conjugated only in the third person singular, with il. Grammarians call this il a sujet apparent: it is there because a French verb needs a subject, but it does not stand for anyone. You cannot replace it with a name or another pronoun.
Verbs that are always impersonal
Weather verbs: il pleut (it is raining), il neige (it is snowing), il gèle (it is freezing), il grêle (it is hailing), il tonne (it is thundering). Many weather expressions also use faire: il fait beau, il fait chaud, il fait froid.
Falloir: il faut (you need to, it is necessary). It is followed by a noun, an infinitive or que + subjunctive:
- Il faut du temps. (It takes time.)
- Il faut faire l’exercice. (You have to do the exercise.)
- Il faut que je parte. (I have to leave.)
Watch out: falloir only exists with il. Je faut or tu faut are always wrong.
Ordinary verbs used impersonally
Some verbs have a normal use and an impersonal one:
| Verb | Impersonal use | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| arriver | Il arrive que cette porte grince. | It happens that this door creaks. |
| rester | Il reste du pain. | There is some bread left. |
| sembler | Il semble que tu aies raison. | It seems you are right. |
| convenir | Il convient d’attendre le directeur. | It is advisable to wait for the director. |
| manquer | Il manque une chaise. | One chair is missing. |
| suffire | Il suffit de demander. | You only need to ask. |
Il est, il y a, il s’agit de
- Il est + adjective + de + infinitive: il est important d’arriver à l’heure, il est difficile de comprendre ce texte. In speech you often hear c’est instead: c’est difficile de comprendre.
- Il est + time: il est deux heures, il est midi.
- Il y a: there is, there are. Il y a un exercice à faire. Also ago: il y a deux ans (two years ago).
- Il s’agit de: it is about. Il s’agit de mon avenir. Never say le livre s’agit de: use dans ce livre, il s’agit de.
Exercise
Complete with il fait, il neige, il pleut, il gèle, il est, il faut or il y a.
- 1. Quand ____ dans les Alpes, je vais skier.
- 2. ____ difficile de comprendre cette leçon !
- 3. J’aime quand ____ à Noël. J’adore les Noëls blancs.
- 4. ____ visiter Venise une fois dans sa vie !
- 5. ____ que je sois à l’heure à mon rendez-vous.
- 6. En été, au Maroc, ____ très chaud.
- 7. Oh, il est tard, ____ rentrer !
- 8. ____ un entretien à passer pour obtenir ce poste.
- 9. Oh ! ____ du vent, mon chapeau s’est envolé !
- 10. Quand ____, j’aime faire du patin à glace sur le lac.
Answers: 1. il neige 2. Il est 3. il neige 4. Il faut 5. Il faut 6. il fait 7. il faut 8. Il y a 9. Il y a 10. il gèle
Going further
Il faut que is one of the most common triggers of the subjunctive. For a full overview of tenses, see our guide to French verb conjugation, or check your level with our free French level test. To use these structures naturally, practise them in our French conversation lessons.
Frequently asked questions
What is an impersonal verb in French?
A verb used only with il, where il does not refer to anyone or anything: il pleut, il faut, il neige.
Is il faut followed by the subjunctive?
Yes, when it is followed by que: il faut que tu viennes. With an infinitive there is no subjunctive: il faut venir.
What is the difference between il est and c’est with adjectives?
Il est important de partir is more formal and common in writing. C’est important de partir means the same and is more common in speech.
Can you say le livre s’agit de?
No. S’agir de is always impersonal: dans ce livre, il s’agit de l’amitié. To talk about the book as a subject, say ce livre parle de l’amitié.
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