When learning a new language like French, it’s important to know how to express simple words like “hot.” In French, there are a few ways to say “hot,” depending on the context. Whether you’re talking about the weather, food, or a hot object, the French language has different words to describe heat.
Understanding how to say “hot” in French will help you communicate better and feel more confident in different situations. In this article, we will explore how to say “hot” in French, along with other common ways to express heat. We will also provide examples to help you practice and improve your French skills. Let’s dive in!
Ways to Say “Hot” in French
Here are 25 ways to say “hot” in French. Each one can be used in different situations, so it’s good to know the meaning and how to pronounce them.
Chaud (sho)
Applicable for: Weather, food, drinks, temperature.
Meaning: This is the most common word for “hot” in French. It can refer to temperature or things that are physically hot.
In a Sentence:
- Il fait chaud aujourd’hui. (It’s hot today.)
- Ce café est trop chaud. (This coffee is too hot.)
Brûlant (broo-lahn)
Applicable for: Extremely hot, burning.
Meaning: This word is used to describe something very hot, like something that is burning or too hot to touch.
In a Sentence:
- Le sable est brûlant sous mes pieds. (The sand is burning hot under my feet.)
- La soupe est brûlante. (The soup is scalding hot.)
Torride (toh-reed)
Applicable for: Very hot weather or temperature.
Meaning: Used to describe intense, scorching heat. Often used for weather.
In a Sentence:
- Hier, il faisait un temps torride. (Yesterday, the weather was scorching hot.)
- C’est une journée torride. (It’s a sweltering day.)
Chaud bouillant (sho boo-yahn)
Applicable for: Extremely hot, boiling.
Meaning: Used to describe something that is boiling or very hot to the touch.
In a Sentence:
- Ce thé est chaud bouillant. (This tea is boiling hot.)
- Faites attention, l’eau est chaud bouillant. (Be careful, the water is boiling hot.)
Vulcanique (vool-kah-neek)
Applicable for: Extremely hot, like lava or volcanoes.
Meaning: Refers to something as hot as lava or volcanic heat.
In a Sentence:
- Le sol est presque vulcanique après le feu. (The ground is almost as hot as lava after the fire.)
- Le volcan est actif et son activité est vulcanique. (The volcano is active, and its activity is volcanic.)
Cuisant (kwee-zahn)
Applicable for: Painfully hot.
Meaning: Used to describe something so hot it can cause discomfort or pain.
In a Sentence:
- J’ai touché un métal cuisant. (I touched a painfully hot metal.)
- Ce soleil est cuisant sur ma peau. (This sun is burning hot on my skin.)
Chaud comme la braise (sho kom lah brez)
Applicable for: Extremely hot, like glowing embers.
Meaning: A phrase used to describe something as hot as glowing embers.
In a Sentence:
- La cheminée est chaude comme la braise. (The fireplace is as hot as embers.)
- Il a un regard chaud comme la braise. (He has a gaze as hot as embers.)
Bouillant (boo-yahn)
Applicable for: Boiling water or liquid.
Meaning: This word means boiling and is often used for liquids like water or soup.
In a Sentence:
- L’eau est bouillante, fais attention ! (The water is boiling, be careful!)
- La soupe est bouillante. (The soup is boiling hot.)
Chaud comme un four (sho kom uh for)
Applicable for: Very hot, like an oven.
Meaning: This phrase describes something as hot as an oven.
In a Sentence:
- Aujourd’hui, il fait chaud comme un four dehors. (Today, it’s as hot as an oven outside.)
- Il a la peau chaude comme un four. (His skin is hot like an oven.)
Fiévreux (fyeh-vruh)
Applicable for: Feverish or hot due to illness.
Meaning: This word is used when someone has a fever or feels hot because of illness.
In a Sentence:
- Je me sens fiévreux. (I feel feverish.)
- Elle a une température fiévreuse. (She has a feverish temperature.)
Chaudement (sho-ed-mohn)
Applicable for: Warm or hot in a comforting way.
Meaning: It describes something that is warmly or comfortably hot.
In a Sentence:
- Je suis chaudement habillé pour l’hiver. (I’m warmly dressed for winter.)
- Ils m’ont accueilli chaudement. (They warmly welcomed me.)
Surchauffé (sir-shoh-fay)
Applicable for: Overheated, like an engine.
Meaning: Used when something has overheated or is too hot.
In a Sentence:
- Mon moteur est surchauffé. (My engine is overheating.)
- L’ordinateur est surchauffé. (The computer is overheated.)
Chaud d’abord (sho dah-bor)
Applicable for: Initial or first hot feeling.
Meaning: Describes the initial stage of something getting hot.
In a Sentence:
- La soupe était chaud d’abord, puis elle est devenue froide. (The soup was hot at first, then it became cold.)
- La plage était chaud d’abord, mais l’air se refroidit. (The beach was hot at first, but the air is cooling.)
Incandescent (ahn-kahnd-eh-sahn)
Applicable for: Glowing hot, like a lightbulb or metal.
Meaning: This word describes something that is glowing from heat.
In a Sentence:
- La lampe était incandescente. (The lamp was glowing hot.)
- L’acier devient incandescent dans le four. (The steel becomes incandescent in the furnace.)
Sulfureux (sul-fyoor-uh)
Applicable for: Hot and sulfuric.
Meaning: Refers to something hot that also has a strong, unpleasant smell.
In a Sentence:
- L’air près du volcan est sulfureux. (The air near the volcano is hot and sulfurous.)
- Il y a une odeur sulfureuse dans cette pièce chaude. (There’s a sulfuric smell in this hot room.)
Fiévreux (fyehv-ruh)
Applicable for: Feverish temperature.
Meaning: Used to describe a fever or something that feels feverishly hot.
In a Sentence:
- Elle a la peau fiévreuse. (She has a feverish skin.)
- Il a un état fiévreux. (He is in a feverish state.)
Scintillant (seen-tee-yahn)
Applicable for: Sparkling hot.
Meaning: Describes something that is not just hot, but also sparkling or shining from heat.
In a Sentence:
- La surface de la mer était scintillante sous le soleil chaud. (The surface of the sea was sparkling under the hot sun.)
- Il a un regard scintillant et chaud. (He has a sparkling, hot gaze.)
Saisissant (say-zee-sahn)
Applicable for: Strikingly hot, intense.
Meaning: Used to describe something that is strikingly or dramatically hot.
In a Sentence:
- Le soleil est saisissant aujourd’hui. (The sun is strikingly hot today.)
- Il fait un temps saisissant dans le désert. (It’s strikingly hot in the desert.)
Trop chaud (troh sho)
Applicable for: Too hot.
Meaning: This phrase means that something is too hot, and it’s uncomfortable.
In a Sentence:
- Il fait trop chaud ici. (It’s too hot here.)
- Ce thé est trop chaud pour le boire. (This tea is too hot to drink.)
Chaud de chaleur (sho duh sha-loor)
Applicable for: Heat from the sun or environment.
Meaning: Refers to the heat you feel from the sun or hot environment.
In a Sentence:
- Je suis fatigué à cause de la chaleur. (I’m tired because of the heat.)
- La chaleur de l’été est accablante. (The heat of summer is overwhelming.)
En feu (ahn fuh)
Applicable for: On fire, burning hot.
Meaning: Describes something that is literally or figuratively on fire.
In a Sentence:
- La poêle est en feu ! (The pan is on fire!)
- Son cœur est en feu avec la passion. (His heart is on fire with passion.)
Température élevée (tahm-peh-rah-toor eh-lev-ay)
Applicable for: High temperature.
Meaning: Refers to a high temperature, often used in scientific contexts.
In a Sentence:
- La température élevée nous fait transpirer. (The high temperature makes us sweat.)
- Le thermomètre indique une température élevée. (The thermometer shows a high temperature.)
Chaud par le soleil (sho par luh soh-lay)
Applicable for: Hot due to the sun.
Meaning: Describes heat caused by the sun or sunlight.
In a Sentence:
- Il fait chaud par le soleil sur la plage. (It’s hot from the sun on the beach.)
- J’ai trop chaud par le soleil. (I’m too hot from the sun.)
Roi du chaud (rwah dew sho)
Applicable for: King of hot (extremely hot).
Meaning: A fun way to describe something as the ultimate in heat.
In a Sentence:
- Cet été, il est le roi du chaud. (This summer, he’s the king of hot.)
- La fête était le roi du chaud. (The party was the hottest of all.)
Caniculaire (kah-nee-koo-lahr)
Applicable for: Hot as in a heatwave.
Meaning: Used to describe a very hot period, often a heatwave.
In a Sentence:
- La canicule frappe la ville. (The heatwave is hitting the city.)
- Nous avons eu une journée caniculaire. (We had a heatwave day.)
Tempéré (tahm-peh-ray)
Applicable for: Mildly hot, not too extreme.
Meaning: Refers to a warm temperature that’s comfortable and not too hot.
In a Sentence:
- Aujourd’hui, la température est plutôt tempérée. (Today, the temperature is rather mild.)
- Il fait un temps tempéré, agréable pour une promenade. (It’s a temperate day, nice for a walk.)
Excessivement chaud (ex-seh-siv-mahn sho)
Applicable for: Excessively hot.
Meaning: Used when the heat is more than what’s comfortable or expected.
In a Sentence:
- Il fait excessivement chaud en ce moment. (It’s excessively hot right now.)
- Cette pièce est excessivement chaude à cause du radiateur. (This room is excessively hot because of the heater.)
Enflammer (ahn-flah-may)
Applicable for: Something is burning hot.
Meaning: Refers to something literally or figuratively on fire.
In a Sentence:
- Le feu s’enflamme de plus en plus. (The fire is getting hotter and hotter.)
- Il est enflammer de passion ! (He’s burning with passion!)
Chaude comme la braise (sho kom lah breyz)
Applicable for: Hot like embers.
Meaning: A figurative expression to describe something as very hot, similar to glowing coals.
In a Sentence:
- La cheminée est chaude comme la braise. (The fireplace is as hot as embers.)
- Elle a les joues chaudes comme la braise. (Her cheeks are as hot as embers.)
Un climat étouffant (uhn klee-mah eh-too-fahn)
Applicable for: Stifling, oppressive heat.
Meaning: Used to describe heat that is suffocating or unbearable.
In a Sentence:
- Le climat aujourd’hui est étouffant. (The climate today is stifling.)
- L’air est étouffant dans la pièce. (The air is suffocating in the room.)
Lourd et chaud (loor eh sho)
Applicable for: Hot and heavy, humid heat.
Meaning: Describes a heat that is both hot and heavy, typically referring to humidity.
In a Sentence:
- L’atmosphère était lourde et chaude pendant l’orage. (The atmosphere was heavy and hot during the storm.)
- Il fait lourd et chaud ici. (It’s hot and humid here.)
Canicule intense (kah-nee-kool ahn-tahns)
Applicable for: Intense heatwave.
Meaning: Refers to an especially intense period of hot weather, typically a heatwave.
In a Sentence:
- La canicule intense rend la journée presque insupportable. (The intense heatwave makes the day almost unbearable.)
- La ville souffre d’une canicule intense cette semaine. (The city is suffering from an intense heatwave this week.)
Vapeur chaude (vah-pur sho-d)
Applicable for: Steamy, hot air or environment.
Meaning: Refers to hot, steamy air, like from a sauna or a hot kitchen.
In a Sentence:
- L’air dans la cuisine est rempli de vapeur chaude. (The air in the kitchen is filled with hot steam.)
- La vapeur chaude du sauna est agréable. (The hot steam from the sauna is pleasant.)
Other Ways to Say “Hot” in French
Below is a table with other ways to say “hot” in French. Each phrase has its own pronunciation, meaning, and example sentence to help you better understand how to use them in different contexts.
| Other Ways to Say | Pronunciation | Meaning | Example Sentences |
| Bouillant | (boo-yahn) | Boiling, scalding hot | – L’eau dans la bouilloire est bouillante. (The water in the kettle is boiling hot.)- Fais attention, la soupe est bouillante. (Be careful, the soup is scalding hot.) |
| Torride | (toh-reed) | Scorching, extremely hot | – Aujourd’hui, il fait une chaleur torride. (Today, the weather is scorching.)- Nous avons traversé un désert torride. (We crossed a scorching desert.) |
| Chaudement | (sho-ed-mohn) | Warmly, comfortably hot | – Elle m’a donné un accueil chaudement. (She gave me a warm welcome.)- Ce manteau me garde chaudement. (This coat keeps me warmly dressed.) |
| Excessivement chaud | (ex-seh-siv-mahn sho) | Excessively hot | – Il fait excessivement chaud en été. (It gets excessively hot in the summer.)- La pièce est excessivement chaude. (The room is excessively hot.) |
| Température élevée | (tahm-peh-rah-toor eh-lev-ay) | High temperature | – La température élevée de l’été m’oppresse. (The high summer temperature oppresses me.)- Une température élevée est attendue demain. (A high temperature is expected tomorrow.) |
| Chaud de chaleur | (sho duh sha-loor) | Heat from the sun or environment | – Il fait chaud de chaleur aujourd’hui. (It’s hot from the heat today.)- Je me sens fatigué à cause de la chaleur de l’après-midi. (I feel tired from the afternoon heat.) |
| Enflammer | (ahn-flah-may) | To burn, something is burning hot | – Le feu commence à enflammer toute la forêt. (The fire is starting to burn the entire forest.)- Il a enflammé la pièce avec son enthousiasme. (He set the room on fire with his enthusiasm.) |
| Un climat étouffant | (uhn klee-mah eh-too-fahn) | Stifling, suffocating heat | – Le climat étouffant m’empêche de respirer. (The stifling heat prevents me from breathing.)- Il fait un climat étouffant ce matin. (It’s stifling hot this morning.) |
Response to “Hot” in French
When someone says “hot” in French, you might want to respond in a way that fits the situation. Below are some common responses to express your feelings about heat or to continue the conversation.
Oui, c’est vraiment chaud !
Pronunciation: (wee, seh vreh-mohn sho)
Meaning: Yes, it’s really hot!
In a Sentence:
- Person A: Il fait chaud aujourd’hui ! (It’s hot today!)
- Person B: Oui, c’est vraiment chaud ! (Yes, it’s really hot!)
Je suis tout transpirant !
Pronunciation: (zhuh swee too trahns-pee-rahnt)
Meaning: I’m all sweaty!
In a Sentence:
- Person A: Il fait tellement chaud. (It’s so hot.)
- Person B: Je suis tout transpirant ! (I’m all sweaty!)
C’est insupportable !
Pronunciation: (seh ahn-syoo-pohr-tahbl)
Meaning: It’s unbearable!
In a Sentence:
- Person A: La chaleur est incroyable ! (The heat is unbelievable!)
- Person B: C’est insupportable ! (It’s unbearable!)
J’ai soif !
Pronunciation: (zhay swahf)
Meaning: I’m thirsty!
In a Sentence:
- Person A: Il fait vraiment chaud aujourd’hui. (It’s really hot today.)
- Person B: J’ai soif ! (I’m thirsty!)
On devrait aller à la piscine.
Pronunciation: (ohn duh-vray ah-lay ah lah pee-seen)
Meaning: We should go to the pool.
In a Sentence:
- Person A: C’est trop chaud pour rester dehors. (It’s too hot to stay outside.)
- Person B: On devrait aller à la piscine. (We should go to the pool.)
Il fait un temps de canicule !
Pronunciation: (eel feh uh tahm duh kah-nee-kool)
Meaning: It’s heatwave weather!
In a Sentence:
- Person A: Il fait vraiment chaud ces derniers jours. (It’s really hot these past few days.)
- Person B: Il fait un temps de canicule ! (It’s heatwave weather!)
Je préfère l’hiver.
Pronunciation: (zhuh preh-fehr lee-veh)
Meaning: I prefer winter.
In a Sentence:
- Person A: Il fait trop chaud ici ! (It’s too hot here!)
- Person B: Je préfère l’hiver. (I prefer winter.)
Il faut boire beaucoup d’eau.
Pronunciation: (eel foh bwahr boh-koo doh)
Meaning: You need to drink a lot of water.
In a Sentence:
- Person A: Il fait trop chaud aujourd’hui. (It’s too hot today.)
- Person B: Il faut boire beaucoup d’eau. (You need to drink a lot of water.)
C’est étouffant dehors !
Pronunciation: (seh eh-too-fahn duh-or)
Meaning: It’s suffocating outside!
In a Sentence:
- Person A: Il fait très chaud aujourd’hui ! (It’s very hot today!)
- Person B: C’est étouffant dehors ! (It’s suffocating outside!)
J’espère qu’il pleuvra bientôt.
Pronunciation: (zhay-spehr keel pleh-vrah byahn-toh)
Meaning: I hope it will rain soon.
In a Sentence:
- Person A: Il fait tellement chaud ! (It’s so hot!)
- Person B: J’espère qu’il pleuvra bientôt. (I hope it will rain soon.)
C’est la canicule, n’est-ce pas ?
Pronunciation: (seh lah kah-nee-kool, nayss pah)
Meaning: It’s a heatwave, isn’t it?
In a Sentence:
- Person A: C’est horrible dehors. (It’s awful outside.)
- Person B: C’est la canicule, n’est-ce pas ? (It’s a heatwave, isn’t it?)
On devrait rester à l’intérieur.
Pronunciation: (ohn duh-vray reh-stay ah lan-teh-ree-yer)
Meaning: We should stay inside.
In a Sentence:
- Person A: Il fait vraiment trop chaud pour sortir. (It’s really too hot to go outside.)
- Person B: On devrait rester à l’intérieur. (We should stay inside.)
Il faut que je m’hydrate.
Pronunciation: (eel foh kuh zhuh mee-draht)
Meaning: I need to hydrate.
In a Sentence:
- Person A: Ce temps est insupportable ! (This weather is unbearable!)
- Person B: Il faut que je m’hydrate. (I need to hydrate.)
C’est un temps de fournaise.
Pronunciation: (seh uh tahm duh for-nehz)
Meaning: It’s furnace-like weather.
In a Sentence:
- Person A: Je ne peux pas sortir avec cette chaleur. (I can’t go outside with this heat.)
- Person B: C’est un temps de fournaise. (It’s furnace-like weather.)
J’ai l’impression que je vais fondre.
Pronunciation: (zhay lam-preh-syon kuh zhuh veh fohn-druh)
Meaning: I feel like I’m going to melt.
In a Sentence:
- Person A: Il fait une chaleur accablante. (It’s an overwhelming heat.)
- Person B: J’ai l’impression que je vais fondre. (I feel like I’m going to melt.)
Cette chaleur me fatigue.
Pronunciation: (set shah-luhr muh fah-teeg)
Meaning: This heat is tiring me.
In a Sentence:
- Person A: C’est un temps de canicule. (It’s heatwave weather.)
- Person B: Cette chaleur me fatigue. (This heat is tiring me.)
Je ne supporte plus cette chaleur.
Pronunciation: (zhuh nuh soo-pohrt plew set shah-luhr)
Meaning: I can’t stand this heat anymore.
In a Sentence:
- Person A: Il fait tellement chaud, non ? (It’s so hot, isn’t it?)
- Person B: Je ne supporte plus cette chaleur. (I can’t stand this heat anymore.)
Un ventilateur ne suffira pas !
Pronunciation: (uhn vahn-tee-lah-teur nuh soo-fee-rah pah)
Meaning: A fan won’t be enough!
In a Sentence:
- Person A: Il fait trop chaud, je vais allumer le ventilateur. (It’s too hot, I’ll turn on the fan.)
- Person B: Un ventilateur ne suffira pas ! (A fan won’t be enough!)
C’est un soleil de plomb !
Pronunciation: (seh uh so-lay duh plohm)
Meaning: It’s a scorching sun.
In a Sentence:
- Person A: J’ai du mal à rester dehors. (I’m struggling to stay outside.)
- Person B: C’est un soleil de plomb ! (It’s a scorching sun!)
Je préfère la chaleur sèche.
Pronunciation: (zhuh preh-fehr lah shah-luhr sehsh)
Meaning: I prefer dry heat.
In a Sentence:
- Person A: Cette humidité rend tout plus difficile. (This humidity makes everything harder.)
- Person B: Je préfère la chaleur sèche. (I prefer dry heat.)
Exercise to Practice Saying “Hot” in French
Here are 12 fill-in-the-blank exercises using the different ways to say “hot” in French. Try filling in the blanks with the correct phrase based on the context provided. Afterward, you’ll find the answers and the English meaning of each sentence.
Fill-in-the-Blank Sentences
- Il fait ________ aujourd’hui. (It’s very hot today.)
- Le thé est ________. (This tea is boiling hot.)
- La plage est ________ à cause du soleil. (The beach is scorching because of the sun.)
- Je suis ________ à cause de la chaleur. (I am all sweaty because of the heat.)
- Cette journée est ________ ! (This day is unbearable!)
- Je vais ________ d’eau, il fait trop chaud. (I need to drink a lot of water, it’s too hot.)
- Il fait ________ dans le désert. (It’s a furnace-like temperature in the desert.)
- L’air est ________ dans cette pièce. (The air is suffocating in this room.)
- Je suis ________ comme la braise ! (I am burning hot like embers!)
- Le soleil est ________ aujourd’hui. (The sun is scorching today.)
- On devrait rester à l’intérieur, il fait ________ dehors. (We should stay inside, it’s too hot outside.)
- Je me sens ________ à cause de cette chaleur accablante. (I feel like I’m going to melt because of this overwhelming heat.)
Answers
- très chaud
(It’s very hot today.) - bouillant
(This tea is boiling hot.) - torride
(The beach is scorching because of the sun.) - tout transpirant
(I am all sweaty because of the heat.) - insupportable
(This day is unbearable!) - boire beaucoup
(I need to drink a lot of water, it’s too hot.) - un temps de fournaise
(It’s a furnace-like temperature in the desert.) - étouffant
(The air is suffocating in this room.) - chaud
(I am burning hot like embers!) - torride
(The sun is scorching today.) - trop chaud
(We should stay inside, it’s too hot outside.) - fondre
(I feel like I’m going to melt because of this overwhelming heat.)
Conclusion
Learning how to say “hot” in French helps you describe many different situations involving heat, whether it’s about the weather, food, or even how you’re feeling. In this article, we explored several ways to express “hot,” from common terms like chaud to more specific ones like torride or suffocating heat with étouffant.
By practicing the different phrases and understanding their meanings, you can start using them in conversations with friends, classmates, or even when traveling in French-speaking countries. Don’t forget to use responses to share how hot it is and how it makes you feel—whether you’re staying cool with a fan or wishing for rain!
With enough practice, you’ll soon feel more comfortable talking about heat in French, no matter the situation. Keep practicing, and you’ll become more confident in expressing yourself in French in no time!