eau chaude
feminine
The English phrase "hot water" is eau chaude in French.
Meaning: hot water (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the noun eau (water) and the adjective chaude (hot).
How does it change in a sentence?
Because eau is a feminine noun, the adjective must take the feminine form chaude. When you are referring to an unspecified amount of hot water, you should use the partitive article to say de l'eau chaude.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using the masculine form eau chaud, as the adjective must match the feminine noun eau.
Did you know?
- English speakers often try to translate the idiom 'in hot water' literally, but être dans l'eau chaude has no such figurative meaning in French.
- The word eau comes from the Latin aqua, but the 'q' and 'u' sounds disappeared over centuries of linguistic evolution in France.
- Although eau chaude describes the temperature of the liquid, if you are talking about a 'hot water' heater, you would use the term chauffe-eau.
Examples in context
- De l'eau chaude surgit.Hot water burst out.This sentence shows the movement of eau chaude.Tatoeba #3657488 by sacredceltic, translation #282142 by Eldad
- Il n'y a pas d'eau chaude.There's no hot water.This sentence is useful for expressing the absence of eau chaude.Tatoeba #3256300 by nimfeo, translation #2217696 by Hybrid
- Y a-t-il de l'eau chaude ?Is there hot water?This sentence is a way to ask if eau chaude is available.Tatoeba #3657839 by sacredceltic, translation #773344 by marloncori
- Pourriez-vous m'apporter de l'eau chaude, s'il vous plaît?Could you bring me some hot water, please?
- Je souhaiterais de l'eau chaude à la température idéale pour mon thé, s'il vous plaît.I would like hot water at the ideal temperature for my tea, please.
- Peux-tu me servir de l'eau chaude, s'il te plaît?Can you pour me some hot water, please?
- Apporte-moi une casserole d'eau bouillante pour les pâtes.Bring me a pot of boiling water for the pasta.
- Je voudrais une tasse d'eau chaude pour accompagner mon café, s'il vous plaît.I would like a cup of hot water to go with my coffee, please.
- Est-ce que tu peux me mettre de l'eau chaude dans cette bouilloire?Can you fill this kettle with hot water, please?
- 24 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Chloé are in the kitchen preparing tea.
- GabrielJe prépare de l'eau chaude pour le thé.I am preparing some hot water for the tea.
- ChloéC'est gentil, Gabriel. Merci beaucoup.That's kind of you, Gabriel. Thank you very much.
- GabrielEst-ce que tu veux de l'eau chaude aussi ?Do you want some hot water too?
- ChloéOui, s'il te plaît, Chloé en a besoin.Yes, please, Chloé needs some.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hot water” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries eau, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
