Which one should you use?
Depending on the context, other terms may be more appropriate than sıcak. Use Yüksek ısılı for formal scientific or technical discussions regarding extreme heat, and use Yanık if something is heated to the point of being scorched or burning. For a more affectionate and cozy sense of warmth, you can use sıcacık.
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adjective, sıcak does not change its form based on the gender of the noun it describes, because Turkish has no grammatical gender.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /sɯˈdʒɑk/. It sounds like [s]end followed by a sound somewhat like the vowel in ribb[o]n, then [j]ump and finally [c]ore.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use sıcak to mean "spicy" when talking about food. Instead, use acılı or acı to describe food that has a spicy heat.
Did you know?
- In Turkish, you cannot use sıcak to describe a spicy pepper, but the word for spicy, acı, also means 'bitter' or 'painful'.
- The word sıcak originates from the Old Anatolian Turkish word ıssıcaq, which was a diminutive form of ıssı, meaning 'hot'.
- To describe a 'heated' argument, Turkish speakers use hararetli, which refers to the heat of a fever or an engine rather than the word sıcak.
Examples in context
- Sıcak su var mı?Is there hot water?This sentence shows how to ask if hot water is available using sıcak.Tatoeba #2049821 by duran, translation #773344 by marloncori
- Bu çay çok sıcak.This tea is very hot.This sentence uses sıcak to describe the temperature of tea.Tatoeba #1265105 by duran, translation #61267 by CK
- Bu oda çok sıcak.This room is very hot.This sentence uses sıcak to describe the temperature of a room.Tatoeba #1273422 by duran, translation #2646493 by CK
- Çayım çok sıcakMy tea is very hot
- Dışarısı çok sıcakIt's very hot outside
- 765 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emre and Elif are sitting at a cafe on a summer day.
- EmreDışarıda hava çok sıcak, değil mi?The weather is very hot outside, isn't it?
- ElifEvet, gerçekten çok sıcak.Yes, it is really hot.
- EmreBuzlu bir içecek ister misin?Do you want an iced drink?
- ElifHarika olur, teşekkürler Emre.That would be great, thanks Emre.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hot” translations and entries sıcak, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries sıcak, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
