French Phrase
Ça laisse entrer de l'air froid.
Meaning
Literally, “It lets cold air in.” The sentence describes a situation where something (a window, a door, a crack) is allowing cold air to flow inside a room or building.
When to use
Use this phrase when you notice a draft, when a window is open, or when you want to comment on a chilly indoor temperature caused by outside air coming in.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Çalaisseentrerdel'airfroid
Ça (demonstrative pronoun)
‘Ça’ is the informal spoken form of ‘cela’, used to refer to a situation or thing previously mentioned.
Laisser + infinitive (causative)
‘Laisser’ followed by an infinitive means ‘to let / allow’ someone or something to do an action.
Partitive article ‘de l’ ’
When talking about an unspecified amount of a non‑countable noun that begins with a vowel or mute h, French uses the partitive ‘de l’ ’ (e.g., de l’air).
Adjective placement
In French, most adjectives follow the noun, so ‘froid’ comes after ‘air’.
🗨In Conversation
Ça laisse entrer de l'air froid, je sens le vent dans le salon.
It lets cold air in, I can feel the wind in the living room.
Ferme la fenêtre, sinon on va attraper froid.
Close the window, otherwise we’ll catch a cold.
✕Common Mistakes
Ça laisse entrer de le air froid.
The partitive article contracts to ‘de l’ ’ before a vowel; ‘de le’ is grammatically incorrect.
Ça laisse l'air froid.
Learners sometimes forget the infinitive after ‘laisser’; you must keep ‘entrer’ in the infinitive form.
Ça laisse entrer de l'froid air.
Placing the adjective before the noun changes nuance; ‘froid air’ sounds unnatural.
↔Alternatives
Il fait entrer de l'air froid.
It makes cold air come in.
On laisse entrer de l'air froid.
We let cold air in.
Ça fait entrer de l'air froid.
It causes cold air to enter.
Cultural Tip
In French homes, especially in older apartments, drafts are common in winter. People often say “Il y a un courant d’air” (There’s a draft) or “Il fait froid à cause du vent”. The phrase is informal; in a more formal context you might replace ‘ça’ with ‘cela’ or use the impersonal ‘Il’ construction. Also note that French speakers tend to close windows quickly once they notice a cold draft, as keeping a house warm is a cultural priority.