Italian · Nature, Animals & Weather

"Heat" in Italian: caldo

il caldo

Say it: eel KAHL-dohmasculine · il caldonoun/il ˈkal.do/

Heat in Italian is il caldo (eel KAHL-doh), masculine. Fa caldo means it's hot. Che caldo! is the everyday complaint in summer.

Midday street

Oggi il caldo non si sopporta.
Today the heat is unbearable.
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How to pronounce caldo

Say it

eel KAHL-doh

/il ˈkal.do/

Caldo: KAHL-doh. Open a; clear l. Two syllables. Plural caldi for hot things.

"Heat" in Italian: quick reference

ItalianEnglish
il caldothe heat / hot weather

Noun for temperature feel.

fa caldoit's hot

Default weather line.

che caldo!how hot it is!

Complaint or surprise.

il caldo africanointense heat wave

Media talk for extreme days.

How to use caldo in real life

  1. 1Midday street

    Oggi il caldo non si sopporta.

    Today the heat is unbearable.

    Il caldo as subject.

  2. 2Opening a window

    Chiudi le tende: entra troppo caldo.

    Close the blinds: too much heat is coming in.

    Troppo caldo.

  3. 3Beach plan

    Col caldo andiamo solo la sera.

    With this heat we only go in the evening.

    Col caldo = with the heat.

Mistakes English speakers make with caldo

Incorrect: Fa la heat fuori.

Correct: Fa caldo fuori.

Weather uses caldo, not English heat.

Incorrect: C'è una calda forte.

Correct: C'è un caldo forte. / Fa molto caldo.

Il caldo is masculine; prefer fa caldo for weather.

Good to know

Summer news talks about ondate di caldo and the caldo africano. Siesta timing, shutters closed at noon, and late dinners are practical answers to il caldo—not just lifestyle clichés.

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Escaping a heatwave afternoon

  1. ChatPal

    Questo caldo mi sta spezzando.

    This heat is wiping me out.

  2. You

    Andiamo al museo: il caldo è meno forte.

    Let's go to the museum—the heat is milder there.

  3. ChatPal

    Buona idea. Porto anche l'acqua.

    Good idea. I'll bring water too.

  4. You

    Sì, col caldo serve bere spesso.

    Yes, with this heat you need to drink often.

This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.

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"Heat" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Heat" in Italian

How do you say heat?

Il caldo.

It's hot?

Fa caldo.

How hot!

Che caldo!

Heat vs hot (adjective)?

Il caldo is the noun; caldo/a also means hot as an adjective.

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  4. Step 4: Use it in real scenarios

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