chaud
/ʃo/
The English phrase 'hot' is translated into French as chaud. Wiktionary also lists très chaud.
Meaning: having a high temperature (adj)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| chaud | /ʃo/ |
| très chaud |
The word chaud is used to describe having a high temperature.
Which one should you use?
Use chaud when referring to general temperature, but if something is so hot that it is actually burning or scalding, use brûlant instead.
How does it change in a sentence?
French uses different verbs depending on what is 'hot'. To describe a person's physical sensation of feeling hot, use the verb avoir (to have) rather than être (to be). To describe the weather or the ambient temperature of a room, use the verb faire (to do/make).
How do you pronounce it?
/ʃo/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying Je suis chaud to mean you feel hot, as this is a common mistake that can imply sexual arousal in many contexts.
Did you know?
- In colloquial French, the phrase être chaud can mean being 'up for' or 'excited' about doing an activity, such as Je suis chaud pour un ciné to mean 'I'm down for a movie'.
- The word chaud shares an ancestor with the English word 'calid', which is used in scientific terms to describe heat. This connection traces back to the Latin 'calidus'.
- While chaud describes temperature, the concept of a 'hot' personality or a 'hot' topic is often expressed using different metaphors in French to avoid the physical temperature connotation.
Examples in context
- T’as pas chaud ?You're not hot?This sentence uses chaud to ask about a person's physical sensation.Tatoeba #4869393 by gillux, translation #11222353 by DJ_Saidez
- Il fait chaud ici.It's hot in here.This sentence uses chaud to describe the ambient temperature of a room.Tatoeba #663094 by U2FS, translation #610130 by CK
- Il va faire chaud.It will be hot.This sentence uses chaud to describe the weather.Tatoeba #5185847 by nimfeo, translation #2635045 by Joseph
- Il fait chaud aujourd'hui.It's hot today.
- Prenez un café bien chaud.Have a nice hot coffee.
- La soupe est trop chaude pour être servie.The soup is too hot to be served.
- Attention, la plaque est brûlante.Be careful, the stove is hot.
- La journée a été brûlante.The day was scorching hot.
- Mon café est brûlant, je dois attendre un peu.My coffee is scalding hot, I need to wait a bit.
- Elle est vraiment canon dans cette robe.She looks really hot in that dress.
- Il a une voiture canon.He has a really cool car.
- 536 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nathan and Emma are drinking coffee in a cafe.
- NathanAttention, le café est très chaud.Careful, the coffee is very hot.
- EmmaMerci, je vais attendre un peu.Thanks, I will wait a bit.
- NathanC'est pour ça que c'est chaud.That is why it's hot.
- EmmaJe préfère boire mon café lentement.I prefer to drink my coffee slowly.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hot” translations and entries chaud, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries chaud, très, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
