How to Talk About Autumn in English
It's that time of year when the seasons change and I can feel the shift. People are talking about the fact that summer is over and that colder months are coming. It's a popular conversation topic at the moment and many people are excited about the arrival of autumn. Let's look at some autumnal phrases.
'Autumnal' is an adjective that refers to anything with characteristics of autumn or that is used or seen in autumn.
E.g. Hyde Park looks really autumnal at this time of year.
E.g. I love to eat pumpkin soup in October, it's so autumnal.
Autumn is commonly called ‘fall’ in American English.
One reason why people seem to get very excited about the arrival of autumn is that it's a time for getting nice and 'cosy' (spelt 'cozy' in American English). 'Being cosy' or 'feeling cosy' refers to a feeling of comfort, warmth and relaxation. This is certainly a wonderful feeling. Examples of ways of feeling cosy could include:
Wearing a warm jumper (called a sweater in American English).
Drinking a comforting warm drink.
Curling up with a book or watching TV under a blanket.
Lighting a fire or candles in the evenings.
Wearing thick, warm socks or slippers.
At this time of year, we talk about 'snuggling up at home' or 'snuggling under a blanket'. To snuggle is to settle into a warm, comfortable place. We talk about things being ‘comforting' (adjective) and bringing us comfort (noun). Some people love to get their hats and scarves out of storage after summer.
For me, the most beautiful thing about autumn is the way that the colours change. The leaves on the trees turn to beautiful ambers, burnt oranges and even ruby reds. Then, they lay on the ground in a carpet of colours. Many people enjoy going for walks in parks and countryside areas in the autumn months to admire the changing seasons.
I enjoy 'long summer nights'. In autumn, we have 'shorter days' meaning that the sun sets earlier in the evening. Therefore, we have fewer hours of daylight. In summer we enjoyed 21:30 sunsets and evening light until almost 23:00. Whereas now, the sun sets at 19:40. Some people really enjoy the fact that it's darker in the evenings, as they say it is 'cosier'. Many people also like the fact that there is 'a chill in the air' as it means that they can wear cosier clothes and 'wrap up warm' ('bundle up' in American English).
Please note that although we use capital letters for days and months, we don't usually use them for seasons (there are exceptions, as with all English 'rules'). So it's 'autumn', not 'Autumn'. I have a blog post about when to use capital letters here.
One last tip, please note that the 'n' is silent in the word 'autumn' as it is in other words with 'mn' such as condemn, column and solemn.
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I have written a blog post all about London in autumn that you can read here.
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