Hot in Different Languages
Discover 'Hot' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'hot' is simple, yet holds a world of meaning. It signifies high temperature, spicy food, and even popularity or allure. From a cultural perspective, 'hot' has been celebrated in various ways - be it the sizzling hot dishes of Mexico, the scorching deserts of the Sahara, or the red-hot fashion trends of Milan. But what does 'hot' mean in other languages? Understanding this can open up a treasure trove of cultural insights.
For instance, in Spanish, 'hot' is 'caliente', which is derived from the Latin 'calidus'. In Japanese, 'hot' is 'atsui', a word that also means 'intense' or 'passionate'. In Russian, 'hot' is 'жаркий' (zharkiy), which shares roots with the word for 'fire'. These translations not only satiate our linguistic curiosity but also provide a glimpse into the unique cultural perspectives of different nations.
Below, you'll find a comprehensive list of 'hot' in various languages. Dive in and explore the diverse ways different cultures express this universal concept.
Hot
Hot in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | warm | ||
| The Afrikaans word "warm" is cognate to the English word "warm", but it can also mean "comfortable" or "cozy". | |||
| Amharic | ሞቃት | ||
| The Amharic term "ሞቃት" is also employed to refer to a spicy or piquant flavor profile. | |||
| Hausa | zafi | ||
| Hausa word "zafi" is also used as a superlative, for example "cold" is "sanyi", while "very cold" is "zafi sanyi" | |||
| Igbo | na-ekpo ọkụ | ||
| In the context of pepper soup or other soups, 'na-ekpo ọkụ' can mean either 'it's hot' or 'it has peppers'. | |||
| Malagasy | mafana | ||
| "Mafana" also means "spicy" in Malagasy. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | kutentha | ||
| The word "kutentha" can also mean "to boil" or "to cook". | |||
| Shona | kupisa | ||
| The word 'kupisa' in Shona is also used to mean 'to heat up' or 'to boil'. | |||
| Somali | kulul | ||
| Kulul is used in various contexts, including as a greeting during the hot season. | |||
| Sesotho | chesa | ||
| The word 'chesa' (hot) is said to have originated from the word 'chesela', meaning 'to warm something up'. | |||
| Swahili | moto | ||
| The word "moto" can also mean "fierce" or "passionate" in Swahili. | |||
| Xhosa | kushushu | ||
| The word 'kushushu' has its origin in a fire-making stick that produces flames and sparks. | |||
| Yoruba | gbona | ||
| Gbona has a secondary meaning, 'to be fierce or intense', as in 'gbona ira' for 'intense anger'. | |||
| Zulu | kushisa | ||
| The word 'kushisa' is also used to describe something that is intense or strong in Xhosa. | |||
| Bambara | kalanman | ||
| Ewe | xᴐ dzo | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ashyushye | ||
| Lingala | molunge | ||
| Luganda | okwookya | ||
| Sepedi | fiša | ||
| Twi (Akan) | hye | ||
Hot in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | الحار | ||
| The word "الحار" can also refer to spicy or pungent tastes or a burning sensation in the body. | |||
| Hebrew | חַם | ||
| The word 'חַם' also means 'sour' or 'spicy' in Hebrew, and is related to the Arabic word 'حامض' (hāmiḍ), meaning 'acid'. | |||
| Pashto | ګرم | ||
| The word "ګرم" in Pashto also means "heavy" or "serious". | |||
| Arabic | الحار | ||
| The word "الحار" can also refer to spicy or pungent tastes or a burning sensation in the body. | |||
Hot in Western European Languages
| Albanian | nxehtë | ||
| Nxehtë derives from Proto-Indo-European *nekʷ- 'to roast, burn'. | |||
| Basque | beroa | ||
| The word "bero" in Basque has other meanings such as "great" or "good". | |||
| Catalan | calent | ||
| Calent does not technically mean "hot" as an adjective, but an action that is "to heat" something. | |||
| Croatian | vruće | ||
| The Croatian word "vruće" is related to the word "vreti", meaning to boil, and can also mean "fiery" or "passionate". | |||
| Danish | hed | ||
| The word "hed" also means "to improve" and derives from a Proto-Germanic root meaning "to burn". | |||
| Dutch | heet | ||
| The Dutch word "heet" can also refer to the process of heating or making something hot. | |||
| English | hot | ||
| The word 'hot' also refers to something that is stolen or acquired illegally. | |||
| French | chaud | ||
| The French word "chaud" comes from the Latin word "calidus", meaning "hot" or "warm", but can also be used figuratively to describe strong emotions or situations. | |||
| Frisian | hyt | ||
| The word "hyt" in the Frisian language comes from the Old English "hāt", which also means "hot". | |||
| Galician | quente | ||
| In Galician the word "quente" also refers to a type of traditional soup. | |||
| German | heiß | ||
| In German, "heiß" is cognate with the English "heath" and originally meant "wild and barren landscape" | |||
| Icelandic | heitt | ||
| The Icelandic word 'heitt' can also refer to 'spicy' foods or drinks. | |||
| Irish | te | ||
| The Gaelic word "te" is also used to refer to something that is exciting or stimulating | |||
| Italian | caldo | ||
| The Italian word "caldo" comes from the Latin "calidus", meaning "warm" or "hot", and can also refer to a type of broth or soup. | |||
| Luxembourgish | waarm | ||
| "Waarm" can come from the Proto-Germanic "*waarmas" or Old High German "*waram"," which also gave origin to the word "warm" in other Germanic languages. | |||
| Maltese | jaħraq | ||
| The word "jaħraq" is also used to describe something that is very spicy or pungent. | |||
| Norwegian | varmt | ||
| The word "varmt" also means "loving" or "affectionate" in Norwegian. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | quente | ||
| "Quente" can also mean "spicy" or "warm" in Portuguese (Portugal). | |||
| Scots Gaelic | teth | ||
| "Teth" may derive from Old Norse teitr ("cheerful, pleasant"), which in turn derives from Proto-Germanic teitaz ("joy, pleasure"). | |||
| Spanish | caliente | ||
| Swedish | varm | ||
| The Swedish word "varm" can also mean "friendly", a nuance that the English "hot" lacks. | |||
| Welsh | poeth | ||
| The Welsh word 'poeth' comes from the Proto-Celtic root *tep-, meaning 'warm' or 'hot' | |||
Hot in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | гарачая | ||
| The word "гарачая" comes from the Proto-Slavic word *gъrъkъ, which also means "heat" or "fever". | |||
| Bosnian | vruće | ||
| "Vruće" is an adjective used to describe something that is hot, such as a fire or a stove. It can also be used to describe the weather, or someone's temper. | |||
| Bulgarian | горещо | ||
| The word "горещо" can also mean "spicy" or "feverish" in Bulgarian. | |||
| Czech | horký | ||
| "Horký" also means "bitter" in Czech, and comes from the Proto-Slavic word "gorkъ", which had the same meaning. | |||
| Estonian | kuum | ||
| "Kuuma" derives in some Baltic language from proto-Indo-European "keu", referring to something heated or burning | |||
| Finnish | kuuma | ||
| In addition to 'hot', 'kuuma' also means 'fever' and 'sultry'. It can also be used figuratively to describe something passionate or intense. | |||
| Hungarian | forró | ||
| Forró (meaning "fiery") in Hungarian also refers to a traditional style of pair dancing accompanied by music. | |||
| Latvian | karsts | ||
| The Latvian word "karsts" not only means "hot", but also refers to a type of geological formation characterized by soluble rock and underground drainage. | |||
| Lithuanian | karšta | ||
| The word "karšta" in Lithuanian originates from the Proto-Indo-European root "*kers-," and is related to Sanskrit "gharma" and Latin "formus," both meaning "warm." | |||
| Macedonian | жешко | ||
| The Old Church Slavonic word *žgъ*, the ancestor of Macedonian "жешко" and other cognate words in Slavic languages, also had the additional meaning “pain” | |||
| Polish | gorąco | ||
| In Polish, "gorąco" can also mean "ardently", "fervently", or "enthusiastically." | |||
| Romanian | fierbinte | ||
| Although it is not widely known, the name derives from the Turkish word "fırın" meaning "oven". | |||
| Russian | горячей | ||
| Горячей is an old word meaning "bitterly," which survives in idioms such as горькая судьба ("a bitter fate") or a hot-tempered person. | |||
| Serbian | вруће | ||
| The Serbian word "вруће" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*vьrъ", which also means "boil" or "bubble". | |||
| Slovak | horúci | ||
| The word "horúci" can also mean "feverish" or "enthusiastic" in Slovak. | |||
| Slovenian | vroče | ||
| The Slovene word 'vroče' derives from 'vreti', a verb meaning to 'boil', and can metaphorically mean 'fiery-tempered'. | |||
| Ukrainian | гарячий | ||
| In Ukrainian, the word "гарячий" can also mean "eager" or "passionate". | |||
Hot in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | গরম | ||
| Gujarati | ગરમ | ||
| The Gujarati word "ગરમ" is derived from the Sanskrit word "gharma" and can also mean "spicy" or "exciting". | |||
| Hindi | गरम | ||
| In Punjabi the verb 'to heat up' is also spelled as 'गरमाना' | |||
| Kannada | ಬಿಸಿ | ||
| The word "ಬಿಸಿ" can also mean "anger" or "enthusiasm" in Kannada. | |||
| Malayalam | ചൂടുള്ള | ||
| The word 'ചൂടുള്ള' in Malayalam is an example of a 'sandhi', a compound word, and is composed of the words 'ചൂട്' (heat) and 'ഉള്ള' (having). | |||
| Marathi | गरम | ||
| 'गरम' is connected to the Sanskrit word 'ghrama' which refers to a house or a homestead. | |||
| Nepali | तातो | ||
| The Nepali word 'तातो' is cognate with the Sanskrit word 'ताप', which means 'heat' or 'warmth'. | |||
| Punjabi | ਗਰਮ | ||
| The word 'ਗਰਮ' ('garam') is also used in Punjabi to refer to something spicy or stimulating. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | උණුසුම් | ||
| Tamil | சூடான | ||
| சூடான (chutana) is also used to describe spicy food and weather. | |||
| Telugu | వేడి | ||
| The Telugu word "వేడి" also means "fever" or "heat" in the context of an illness. | |||
| Urdu | گرم | ||
| Urdu "گرم" derives from Sanskrit "gharamā", meaning "heat" but also "affection" or "excitement". | |||
Hot in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 热 | ||
| "热" in Chinese has various meanings, including temperature, passion, enthusiasm, and popularity. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 熱 | ||
| 熱 is also used as a noun for food that is hot and spicy. | |||
| Japanese | ホット | ||
| The word "hot" in Japanese, "ホット" (hotto), can also mean "fresh" or "new" in the context of food or drinks. | |||
| Korean | 뜨거운 | ||
| The word "뜨거운" (hot) is also used to describe something spicy, such as a dish. | |||
| Mongolian | халуун | ||
| The word "халуун" can also refer to "warm" as a temperature, or "spicy" as a flavor. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ပူတယ် | ||
| "ပူတယ်" shares the same root with the verb "to roast" and thus can also mean "fragrant". | |||
Hot in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | panas | ||
| The word "panas" can also mean "expensive" or "difficult" in Indonesian. | |||
| Javanese | panas | ||
| In Javanese, "panas" also means "fever" or "warmth". | |||
| Khmer | ក្តៅ | ||
| ក្តៅ shares a root and can also carry the meaning of 'bitter.' | |||
| Lao | ຮ້ອນ | ||
| The Lao word 'ຮ້ອນ' ('hot') also refers to 'being angry' or 'having a fever'. | |||
| Malay | panas | ||
| The word "panas" in Malay can also mean "fever" or "anger". | |||
| Thai | ร้อน | ||
| The term "ร้อน" can refer to physical sensations, as well as emotions, including anger and desire. | |||
| Vietnamese | nóng bức | ||
| "Nóng bức" in Vietnamese not only means "hot" but also carries the connotation of discomfort and stuffiness. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mainit | ||
Hot in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | isti | ||
| "Isti" can also mean "feverish" in Azerbaijani. | |||
| Kazakh | ыстық | ||
| The word ыстық also has the meaning of "steep", as in a steep incline. | |||
| Kyrgyz | ысык | ||
| 'Ысык' also means 'sacred' in Kyrgyz, which is seen in the name of Lake Issyk-Kul, which translates to 'warm sacred lake'. | |||
| Tajik | гарм | ||
| The Tajik word "гарм" not only means "hot" but also refers to a region in Tajikistan known for its warm climate and fertile lands. | |||
| Turkmen | yssy | ||
| Uzbek | issiq | ||
| "issiq" originates from the Old Turkic word "ysïk," meaning "warm," derived from Proto-Turkic "sïzïq" with a similar meaning. | |||
| Uyghur | hot | ||
Hot in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | wela | ||
| The Hawaiian word "wela" can also mean "to roast" or "to scorch". | |||
| Maori | wera | ||
| The word "wera" is cognate with the Proto-Polynesian word *wela, which also means "hot". | |||
| Samoan | vevela | ||
| The Samoan word 'vevela' is related to the Proto-Polynesian word '*wewe', meaning 'to be warm' or 'to be cooked'. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | mainit | ||
| "Mainit" in Tagalog means "hot" but can also mean "friendly" or "excited". | |||
Hot in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | junt'u | ||
| Guarani | haku | ||
Hot in International Languages
| Esperanto | varma | ||
| The word "varma" also means "confident" and comes from the Slavic word for "warm". | |||
| Latin | calidi | ||
| The Latin word "calidi" can also refer to "warmth," "fever" or "passion." | |||
Hot in Others Languages
| Greek | ζεστό | ||
| The word "ζεστό" not only means "hot" in Greek but can also refer to the warmth of a person or a friendly welcome. | |||
| Hmong | kub | ||
| In addition to meaning "hot," "kub" can also mean "spicy," "fiery," or "aggressive." | |||
| Kurdish | germ | ||
| In Kurdish, the word 'germ' also means 'warm' and can be used in the context of temperature or emotions. | |||
| Turkish | sıcak | ||
| Sıcak is also used as a noun in Turkish with the meaning of "warmth". | |||
| Xhosa | kushushu | ||
| The word 'kushushu' has its origin in a fire-making stick that produces flames and sparks. | |||
| Yiddish | הייס | ||
| In Yiddish, 'הייס' can also refer to 'excited' or 'passionate'. | |||
| Zulu | kushisa | ||
| The word 'kushisa' is also used to describe something that is intense or strong in Xhosa. | |||
| Assamese | গৰম | ||
| Aymara | junt'u | ||
| Bhojpuri | गरम | ||
| Dhivehi | ހޫނު | ||
| Dogri | तत्ता | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | mainit | ||
| Guarani | haku | ||
| Ilocano | napudot | ||
| Krio | ɔt | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | گەرم | ||
| Maithili | गर्म | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯁꯥꯕ | ||
| Mizo | sa | ||
| Oromo | ho'aa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଗରମ | ||
| Quechua | quñi | ||
| Sanskrit | उष्णः | ||
| Tatar | кайнар | ||
| Tigrinya | ምዉቅ | ||
| Tsonga | hisa | ||