French Phrase
Novembre donne souvent le cafard.
Meaning
The sentence means that November often makes people feel down or melancholic. It refers to the gloomy weather, shorter days, and the general sense of lethargy that many experience during late autumn.
When to use
Use this phrase when talking about seasonal moods, describing how the weather affects your emotions, or commenting on the typical atmosphere of late autumn in France or other French‑speaking regions.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Novembredonnesouventlecafard.
Month as Subject
Months are proper nouns in French and are capitalized; they can act as the subject of a sentence.
Donner (present)
‘donne’ is the third‑person singular present of the verb ‘donner’, used here metaphorically to mean ‘causes’ or ‘gives’.
Adverb Placement
Adverbs of frequency such as ‘souvent’ normally go after the verb they modify.
Le cafard (idiom)
‘Le cafard’ is an idiomatic expression meaning a feeling of melancholy or the ‘blues’, not the insect.
🗨In Conversation
Novembre donne souvent le cafard, tu ne trouves pas ?
November often gives the blues, don’t you think?
Oui, surtout quand il pleut tout le temps. Mais j’essaie de me réchauffer avec du chocolat chaud.
Yes, especially when it rains all the time. But I try to warm up with hot chocolate.
✕Common Mistakes
Novembre donne le cafard.
Missing the adverb ‘souvent’; the phrase loses the nuance of ‘often’.
Novembre donne souvent le cockroach.
Learners sometimes translate it literally as ‘the cockroach’; remember it’s an idiom for feeling down.
Novembre donne souvent le cafarde.
‘Cafarde’ does not exist; the idiom is masculine – ‘le cafard’.
↔Alternatives
Novembre rend souvent triste.
November often makes people sad.
Novembre me rend morose.
November makes me feel gloomy.
En novembre, on a souvent le cafard.
In November, we often feel down.
Cultural Tip
‘Le cafard’ is a colloquial expression used in everyday French to describe a low mood. It’s informal but perfectly acceptable in conversation with friends or in a casual written context. Avoid using it in formal speeches or academic writing where a more neutral term like ‘dépression légère’ would be preferred.