Chinese phrases
How to say hot in Chinese
Hot in Chinese is 热 (rè) for the weather: 今天很热, “it’s hot today.” Food or water that burns your mouth is 烫 (tàng), and spicy food is 辣 (là).
热
hot
热 has a falling tone. The pinyin r sounds close to the “s” in “pleasure.”
Ways to say hot
热
Everydayhot
For the weather, a room, or your body: 我好热, “I’m so hot.”
热死了
With friendsit’s boiling!
Literally “hot to death.” What people say all summer.
闷热
Everydayhot and humid
Muggy, sticky heat with no wind, common in summer in the south and along the Yangtze.
烫
Everydayhot to the touch
For soup, tea, a pan, a bowl. Waiters say 小心烫, “careful, it’s hot,” when they put a dish down.
辣
Everydayspicy
For chilli heat. 好辣 is “so spicy”; 辣死了 is the stronger version.
火
Everydaypopular; hot right now
For a trend, a song or a restaurant: 这家店很火, “this place is really popular.” 他火了 means he went viral.
Common mistakes
Saying 热 for spicy
English uses “hot” for chilli. 这个很热 only means the food is hot, not cold. For spicy, say 辣.
热 for food that burns
热 says the food is not cold. When soup is too hot to drink, say 太烫了.
Calling a person 热
他很热 means he feels hot. For an attractive person, say 好帅 or 好漂亮; 性感 is “sexy.”
At a noodle shop
您的面，小心烫！
Waiter: Your noodles. Careful, they’re hot!
好的，谢谢。今天真热啊。
Leon: OK, thanks. It’s really hot today.
要不要来瓶冰可乐？
Waiter: Want an iced Coke?
好，来一瓶。
Leon: Sure, one bottle.
