caldo
/ˈkal.do/
In Italian, warm is caldo.
The most straightforward term for 'warm' is caldo, which is used to describe something having a temperature slightly higher than usual. Note that in Italian, caldo is used for both 'warm' and 'hot' temperatures, whereas English makes a distinction between the two.
Meaning: having a temperature slightly higher than usual (adj)
Which one should you use?
While caldo covers both warm and hot, you should use tiepido when you want to specifically mean 'lukewarm' or 'tepid'. Related to this, if you want to express the action of making or keeping something warm, you can use the verbs riscaldare or scaldare. The verb scaldare is particularly common when referring to warming up food or liquids, such as milk.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective caldo must agree in gender and number with the noun it describes. Use calda for feminine singular nouns, caldi for masculine plural nouns and calde for feminine plural nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /ˈkal.do/. It has two syllables, with the stress on the first syllable.
Did you know?
- When Italians want to say 'I am warm' or 'I feel hot', they use the verb avere meaning 'to have'. Instead of saying 'I am caldo', they say ho caldo, literally 'I have heat'.
- The phrase avere il sangue caldo, meaning 'to have warm blood', is used to describe someone who is impulsive or quick to anger.
- The English word 'calid' is a rare relative of the Italian caldo, though it is almost never used in modern English.
Examples in context
- Il tè è caldo.The tea is warm.This sentence shows how to state that tea is warm using caldo.Tatoeba #3350600 by Guybrush88, translation #8921361 by deniko
- Il tè è caldo?Is the tea warm?This sentence shows how to ask if the tea is warm using caldo.Tatoeba #13287466 by Guybrush88, translation #13241672 by araneo
- C'è umido e caldo.It's moist and warm.This sentence describes a situation of moist and warm weather using caldo.Tatoeba #3395790 by Guybrush88, translation #1920677 by Spamster
- La stanza è calda.The room is warm.
- Indossi un cappotto caldo per la serata?Are you wearing a warm coat for the evening?
- Siamo stati accolti con un caloroso benvenuto.We were greeted with a warm welcome.
- Il tè è tiepido, potrebbe essere più caldo?The tea is lukewarm, could it be warmer?
- La temperatura della piscina è leggermente tiepida.The pool's temperature is slightly warm.
- In casa c'è un calduccio piacevole grazie al caminetto acceso.There is a pleasant warmth in the house thanks to the lit fireplace.
- Ho trascorso una serata accogliente con amici intorno al fuoco.I had a cozy evening with friends around the fire.
- 129 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Francesco and Giulia are talking about the weather inside their house.
- FrancescoHai notato che oggi è molto caldo?Have you noticed that it is very warm today?
- GiuliaSì, forse dovremmo aprire le finestre.Yes, maybe we should open the windows.
- FrancescoHai ragione, l'aria è diventata troppo calda.You're right, the air has become too warm.
- GiuliaLo faccio subito, Francesco.I'll do it right away, Francesco.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “warm” translations and entries caldo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries caldo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
