French · Emotions & Descriptions
"Hot" in French: chaud(e)
chaud(e)
Hot in French is chaud before masculine nouns and chaude before feminine ones. Il fait chaud means the weather is hot. De l'eau chaude is hot water.
Heatwave chat
Il fait trop chaud pour courir.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce chaud(e)
Say it
SHOH / SHOHD
/ʃo/ /ʃod/
Chaud is roughly SHOH. Chaude adds a soft d: SHOHD. The au is like o in "go".
"Hot" in French: quick reference
| French | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| chaud / chaude | hot Temperature of things and, carefully, food. | Temperature of things and, carefully, food. |
| il fait chaud | it's hot (weather) Outdoor heat. | Outdoor heat. |
| un café chaud | a hot coffee Drinks and dishes. | Drinks and dishes. |
| avoir chaud | to feel hot Your body: j'ai chaud. | Your body: j'ai chaud. |
How to use chaud(e) in real life
- 1Heatwave chat
Il fait trop chaud pour courir.
It's too hot to run.
Il fait chaud for weather.
- 2Kitchen
Attention, l'assiette est chaude.
Careful, the plate is hot.
Chaude agrees with assiette (f).
- 3After sport
J'ai chaud, j'ouvre la fenêtre.
I feel hot; I'm opening the window.
Avoir chaud = feel hot.
Mistakes English speakers make with chaud(e)
Incorrect: Je suis chaud.
Correct: J'ai chaud.
Feeling hot uses avoir chaud. Je suis chaud means something else (eager / slang).
Incorrect: Il est chaud dehors.
Correct: Il fait chaud dehors.
Weather heat: il fait chaud, not il est chaud.
Good to know
In cafés, un chocolat chaud is the winter classic. For spicy food, French often switches to piquant rather than chaud.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Summer afternoon indoors
ChatPal
Tu as chaud ? J'allume le ventilateur.
Are you hot? I'll turn on the fan.
You
Oui, j'ai vraiment chaud.
Yes, I'm really hot.
ChatPal
Bois de l'eau bien froide, pas trop chaude.
Drink nice cold water, not warm.
You
Bonne idée. Merci.
Good idea. Thanks.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Hot" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Hot" in French
How do you say hot in French?
Chaud (m) / chaude (f).
How do I say the weather is hot?
Il fait chaud.
How do I say I feel hot?
J'ai chaud.
Hot as in spicy?
Prefer piquant for chili heat; chaud is temperature.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
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