du bist heiß
In German, the phrase "you're hot" is translated as du bist heiß.
While the phrase can be used to say someone is physically feeling warm, it is more commonly used to indicate that a person is sexually attractive.
Which one should you use?
While du bist heiß can refer to temperature, the more common way to say someone is experiencing a high body temperature is to say dir ist heiß.
How does it change in a sentence?
The formal version Sie sind heiß can be used for singular, plural or formal address, but carries a very strong sexual connotation that makes it awkward in formal social situations.
What mistakes should you avoid?
To say someone is experiencing a high body temperature, use dir ist heiß.
Did you know?
- The formal phrase Sie sind heiß is particularly risky because the high level of politeness in the pronoun clashes violently with the sexual meaning of the adjective.
- In German, the sensation of feeling warm is expressed using a dative construction dir ist heiß, which literally means 'to you it is hot'.
- The German word du is a direct relative of the archaic English word 'thou'.
Example conversation
Julia and Maximilian are inside a warm room.
- JuliaMaximilian, du bist heiß, oder?Maximilian, you're hot, right?
- MaximilianJa, mir ist wirklich zu warm hier.Yes, it is really too warm for me here.
- JuliaSoll ich die Heizung ausschalten?Should I turn off the heater?
- MaximilianJa, das wäre sehr nett von dir.Yes, that would be very kind of you.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bist, du, heiß, CC BY-SA 4.0.
