French Phrase
La neige s'accumule vite.
Meaning
The sentence states that snow is building up quickly. It is a neutral observation often used when describing current weather conditions or after a snowfall.
When to use
Use this phrase when you want to comment on how fast snow is piling up – during a walk, in a weather report, or while planning travel. It works both in casual conversation and in slightly more formal contexts such as news bulletins.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Laneiges'accumulevite
Definite article (La)
‘La’ is the feminine singular definite article used before a feminine noun.
Noun gender (neige)
‘Neige’ (snow) is a feminine noun, so it takes ‘la’.
Reflexive verb (s'accumuler)
‘S'accumuler’ is a reflexive verb; the ‘se’ contracts to ‘s’ before a vowel. It is conjugated in the present indicative: il/elle s'accumule.
Adverb of manner (vite)
‘Vite’ means ‘quickly’ and is placed after the verb it modifies.
🗨In Conversation
Tu as vu la route ce matin ?
Did you see the road this morning?
Oui, la neige s'accumule vite, il faut faire attention.
Yes, the snow is accumulating quickly, you have to be careful.
✕Common Mistakes
La neige accumule vite.
‘Accumuler’ is not used without the reflexive pronoun in this context; you need ‘s'accumule’.
La neige s'accumule rapidement.
While grammatically correct, many native speakers prefer ‘vite’ in everyday speech; ‘rapidement’ sounds more formal.
La neige s'accumul vite.
The verb must be fully conjugated: ‘s'accumule’, not ‘s'accumul’.
↔Alternatives
La neige tombe vite.
The snow falls quickly.
La neige s'amasse rapidement.
The snow piles up rapidly.
Il y a rapidement de la neige sur le sol.
There is quickly snow on the ground.
Cultural Tip
In French‑speaking regions, people often comment on snow using verbs like ‘s'accumuler’ or ‘s'amasser’. ‘Vite’ is informal; for a more formal tone you can replace it with ‘rapidement’. Remember that the reflexive pronoun ‘se’ contracts to ‘s’ before a vowel, which is why we write ‘s'accumule’ and not ‘se accumule’.