heiß
/haɪ̯s/
The German word for hot is heiß.
heiß is an adjective used to describe something having a high temperature.
Meaning: having a high temperature (adj)
Which one should you use?
Use heiß to describe high temperatures, whereas warm is used to describe moderate, pleasant heat.
How does it change in a sentence?
When used as an attributive adjective before a feminine noun in the nominative case, heiß takes the ending -e, such as in heiße Suppe. When used before a masculine noun in the nominative case, it takes the ending -er, such as in heißer Tee.
How do you pronounce it?
/haɪ̯s/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying Ich bin heiß to mean you are feeling hot due to the temperature, as this translates to being sexually aroused. Instead, use the construction Mir ist heiß to express that you feel hot.
Did you know?
- When describing spicy food, Germans use scharf (sharp) instead of heiß. Using heiß would only refer to the temperature of the dish, not the chili heat.
- To describe someone who is very attractive, Germans can use the phrase ein heißer Feger, which literally means 'a hot sweeper'.
- The German word heiß and the English word 'hot' are actually distant linguistic cousins, both descending from the same Proto-West Germanic root.
Examples in context
- Er mag es heiß.He likes it hot.This sentence shows how to use heiß to express liking a certain temperature.Tatoeba #9985659 by wolfgangth, translation #8479264 by CH
- Wie heiß ist es?How hot is it?This sentence uses heiß to ask about a specific temperature.Tatoeba #6641439 by Felixjp, translation #2835780 by CK
- Ist Tom zu heiß?Is Tom hot?This sentence uses heiß in a question about a person.Tatoeba #6643371 by Felixjp, translation #2244605 by CK
- Das Essen ist heißThe food is hot
- Die Currywurst ist scharfThe currywurst is hot/spicy
- 766 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sarah and Felix are sitting in a cafe on a summer afternoon.
- SarahEs ist heute wirklich heiß.It is really hot today.
- FelixJa, der Tee ist auch sehr heiß.Yes, the tea is also very hot.
- SarahMöchtest du ein kaltes Getränk?Would you like a cold drink?
- FelixDas wäre toll, danke!That would be great, thanks!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hot” translations and entries heiß, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries heiß, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
