German · Emotions & Descriptions
"Hot" in German: heiß
heiß
Hot in German is heiß. Use it for weather, drinks, and surfaces: Es ist heiß or Der Tee ist heiß. For spicy food say scharf, not heiß.
Summer day
Heute ist es richtig heiß.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce heiß
Say it
HICE
/haɪs/
HICE. The ei is like English "eye". Final ß is a sharp s.
"Hot" in German: quick reference
| German | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| heiß | hot Temperature of weather, drinks, objects. | Temperature of weather, drinks, objects. |
| Mir ist heiß. | I feel hot. About your body, not the air alone. | About your body, not the air alone. |
| heiß begehrt | highly sought after Figurative. | Figurative. |
| scharf | spicy / hot (food) Use for chili heat, not heiß. | Use for chili heat, not heiß. |
How to use heiß in real life
- 1Summer day
Heute ist es richtig heiß.
It's really hot today.
Es ist heiß for weather.
- 2Warning about a cup
Vorsicht, der Kaffee ist heiß!
Careful, the coffee is hot!
Common kitchen warning.
- 3Feeling overheated
Mir ist heiß. Mach das Fenster auf.
I feel hot. Open the window.
Mir ist heiß, not Ich bin heiß, for body heat.
Mistakes English speakers make with heiß
Incorrect: Ich bin heiß. (I feel warm)
Correct: Mir ist heiß.
Ich bin heiß can sound sexual. For body temperature say Mir ist heiß.
Incorrect: Das Essen ist heiß. (meaning spicy)
Correct: Das Essen ist scharf.
Heiß means high temperature. Spicy is scharf.
Good to know
Germans complain about heat with Es ist schwül when it is humid, not only heiß. Air conditioning is less common in homes, so open windows and fans are the usual fix on a heiß day.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Waiting for a train in summer
ChatPal
Boah, ist das heiß hier draußen.
Whoa, it's hot out here.
You
Ja. Mir ist auch heiß.
Yes. I feel hot too.
ChatPal
Wollen wir in den Schatten?
Want to go into the shade?
You
Bitte. Und Wasser holen.
Please. And get water.
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 German
How do you say I feel hot?
Mir ist heiß.
How do you say spicy hot?
Scharf, not heiß.
What is the opposite of heiß?
Kalt for cold temperature.
Can heiß mean attractive?
In slang yes, but learners should stick to temperature first.
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
