tengo calor
/tenɡo kaloɾ/from spelling rules
To say "I am warm" in Spanish, use tengo calor.
A person says this when they feel that the temperature is too high for their comfort.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase tengo calor literally translates to "I have heat".
Which one should you use?
Use tengo calor to express the physical sensation of being too hot. You should avoid saying estoy caliente, as this often carries a sexual connotation in many Spanish-speaking regions.
How do you pronounce it?
/tenɡo kaloɾ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly say soy cálido to mean they feel hot. However, cálido refers to a person's temperament or the physical warmth of an object.
Did you know?
- While tengo calor describes a personal sensation, hace calor is used to describe the weather. This means a speaker can 'have heat' while the day 'makes heat'.
- The Spanish word calor is a linguistic relative of the English word 'calorie'. Both originate from the Latin calor, which describes heat.
Examples in context
- Tengo calor en esta habitación.I am warm in this room.
Example conversation
Lucía and Mateo are walking outside on a sunny day.
- LucíaHace mucho sol y tengo calor.It is very sunny and I am warm.
- MateoYo también tengo calor.I am warm too.
- Lucía¿Quieres buscar una sombra?Do you want to look for some shade?
- MateoSí, por favor.Yes, please.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries calor, CC BY-SA 4.0.
