il fait chaud
To say "it is hot" in French, you use il fait chaud.
This phrase is used to describe a high ambient temperature in the air.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase il fait chaud literally translates to "it makes hot".
Which one should you use?
Use il fait chaud to describe the ambient temperature (the weather/room), but use j'ai chaud to describe the physical sensation of being hot.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly say il est chaud to describe the weather, but this is incorrect. il est chaud would refer to a specific object being hot to the touch.
Did you know?
- To describe a 'heatwave', French uses the term canicule, a word that specifically refers to the 'Dog Days' of summer when Sirius is visible.
- While il fait chaud describes the weather, saying il est chaud to describe a person or a situation can imply they are 'erotic' or 'sexy' in slang.
- In French slang, the phrase c'est chaud can be used to describe a situation that is 'risky' or 'tense' rather than the actual temperature.
Examples in context
- Les dames se servent d'éventails lorsqu'il fait chaud.Ladies use fans when it is hot.This sentence shows the use of il fait chaud regarding when ladies use fans.Tatoeba #11937085 by lbdx, translation #456289 by lukaszpp
- Il fait chaud dans cette chambre.It is hot in this room.This sentence shows how to use il fait chaud to describe the temperature in a room.Tatoeba #394427 by Scott, translation #57313 by CC
- Il fait chaud en été dans ma région.It is hot in my region in the summer.This sentence shows how to use il fait chaud to describe the summer weather in a region.Tatoeba #12931503 by Ioan_Cristian, translation #12931506 by Ioan_Cristian
- Il fait vraiment chaud aujourd'hui.It is really hot today.
- C'est une journée suffocante, je ne peux pas supporter cette chaleur.It is a suffocating day, I cannot bear this heat.
- Il fait un temps de canicule ici, on va tous fondre!It is so hot here, we are all going to melt!
- Sortir aujourd'hui? Non merci, il fait une chaleur étouffante dehors!Go out today? No thanks, it is suffocatingly hot outside!
- Je ne peux pas marcher sur le sable, ça brûle!I cannot walk on the sand, it burns!
- Aujourd'hui, on étouffe avec cette chaleur, il faudrait rester au frais!Today, we suffocate with this heat, we should stay cool!
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chloé and Hugo are walking outside during a sunny afternoon.
- ChloéOuh là, il fait chaud aujourd'hui !Phew, it is hot today!
- HugoOui, je n'aime pas du tout cette chaleur.Yes, I don't like this heat at all.
- ChloéOn devrait trouver un café avec la climatisation.We should find a cafe with air conditioning.
- HugoBonne idée, moi aussi j'ai très chaud.Good idea, I am very hot too.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
