暑い
atsui[a̠t͡sɨi]
In Japanese, "it is hot" is expressed as 暑い (atsui).
The word 暑い is used specifically to describe a high air temperature. To say it is "very hot," you can use とても暑い, while すごく暑い means "extremely hot" and めちゃくちゃ暑い means "super hot". For extreme heat waves or scorching weather, the expression 猛暑だ is used.
Which one should you use?
There is a distinction between temperature in the air and temperature to the touch. Use 暑い to describe the air temperature, but use 熱い to describe something hot to the touch, such as a stove or coffee. For heat in terms of flavor, use karai.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the negative, "it is not hot," use 暑くない. If you want to express the past tense, "it was hot," use the polite form 暑かったです.
How do you pronounce it?
atsui
When do people say it?
In casual conversation, it is common to add ね to the end of the word, forming 暑いですね, which means "It's hot, isn't it?" to seek agreement from the listener regarding the weather.
Did you know?
- The phrase 熱い is sometimes used metaphorically to describe a 'passionate' or 'intense' person, whereas 暑い is strictly for temperature.
- When people are too hot, they might use the onomatopoeic word むしむし to describe the stifling, damp feeling of the air.
- While 暑い and 熱い sound identical, their different kanji characters tell you whether the heat is environmental or tactile. The character for 暑い contains the radical for 'sun', while the one for 熱い contains the radical for 'fire'.
Examples in context
- 今日は暑い。It is hot today.This sentence shows how to say it is hot today using 暑い.Tatoeba #171593 by bunbuku, translation #1578719 by CC
- この部屋は暑い。It is hot in this room.This sentence demonstrates using 暑い to describe the temperature in a room.Tatoeba #219993 by arnab, translation #57313 by CC
- 確かに暑いが、湿気はない。It is hot, no doubt, but then the heat is dry.This sentence shows the use of 暑い when describing dry heat.Tatoeba #184573 by arnab, translation #21701 by timmartin
- 今日はとても暑いですね。It's very hot today, isn't it?
- 今日は暑い！It's hot today!
- この夏は猛暑だ！This summer is extremely hot!
- このカレーは辛い！This curry is spicy!
- あのアーティストは今、とてもアツい！That artist is very hot right now!
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two people are walking outside on a summer afternoon.
- 陽葵 Himari今日はとても暑いですね。Kyou wa totemo atsui desu ne.It is very hot today, isn't it?
- 健太 Kentaはい、本当に暑いです。Hai, hontou ni atsui desu.Yes, it really is hot.
- 陽葵 Himariどこかで休みませんか？Dokoka de yasumimasen ka?Shall we rest somewhere?
- 健太 Kentaいいですね。行きましょう。Ii desu ne. Ikimashou.That sounds good. Let's go.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 暑い, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
