14 Ways To Say Hot In Spanish: For Weather, Food And People (With Examples)
Be aware when you want to talk about the scorching hot weather in Spanish!
Why?
Because it’s a bit more complicated to say hot in Spanish than you might think of it at first. This blog post is a true sizzling linguistic challenge!
Saying hot in Spanish isn’t just a one-word wonder – it’s a spicy blend of expressions that you can use for weather, for foods and drink, and even for sexy Spanish people when you want to flirt. We’re here to help you learn all about these phrases.
Our friendly teachers over at Spring Spanish (a project I co-founded) made a fantastic video on this topic:
This article is going to be a ‘caliente’ ride! But hopefully, by the end of this post, you’ll know everything about how to handle any hot situation in Spanish.
1. The most common way to say hot in Spanish
Effortless Answers
When it comes to expressing hot in Spanish, the word you’ll hear most often is “caliente”. It’s your go-to word when you want to say that something’s hot.
Think of “caliente” as your trusty sidekick in the Spanish language – it’s always there when you need it, ready to help you express that something is warm or hot, regardless of the context.
If you use caliente, you Spanish speakers will understand you no matter what.
Here’s a quick table with some examples to help you get comfortable using “caliente”:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| El café está caliente. | (The coffee is hot.) |
| Hace un día caliente. | (It’s a hot day.) |
| Este tema es muy caliente. | (This topic is very hot/controversial.) |
| Ten cuidado, el horno está caliente. | (Be careful, the oven is hot.) |
| Me gusta la sopa caliente. | (I like hot soup.) |
There are other ways to express hot in Spanish, so let’s go deeper in this topic…
2. How to say hot in Spanish for the weather
If you want to talk about the weather in Spanish, you have a few different ways to express that scorching heat.
Just like with the weather, it’s like having different outfits for different occasions – you’ve got options!
You can definitely be more expressive and precise with these adjectives in Spanish. And it can all depend on the how hot it is outside.
Whether you’re complaining about the heat or warning a friend to bring sunscreen, these words will help you
Let’s look at some words you can use when the temperature’s rising:
- Caluroso (hot, warm)
- Sofocante (stifling, suffocating)
- Abrasador (scorching)
- Bochornoso (sweltering, muggy)
- Tórrido (torrid, sweltering)
Now, let’s see these words in action with some example sentences:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Hoy es un día muy caluroso. | (Today is a very hot day.) |
| El verano en Madrid puede ser sofocante. | (Summer in Madrid can be stifling.) |
| El sol abrasador me está quemando la piel. | (The scorching sun is burning my skin.) |
| Qué tiempo tan bochornoso, ¿no? | (What sweltering weather, isn’t it?) |
| En el desierto, el clima es tórrido. | (In the desert, the climate is torrid.) |
3. Different ways to say hot in Spanish for food and drinks
What about food and drinks?
Spanish food vocabulary is full of ‘hotness. And just as you can imagine it, it’s more about the spiciness of the food and drinks rather than the temperature.
And when you use these Spanish words to express hot in Spanish, you’re really referring to the heat of the dish or its spicy flavor, and not talking about anything else. Just make sure that you are able to differentiate between these concepts.
Express exactly what you want – a piping hot soup or a spicy salsa.
So, let’s spice things up with some words you can use to describe that tongue-tingling heat:
- Picante (spicy, hot)
- Enchiloso (very spicy, colloquial)
- Picoso (spicy, used in some Latin American countries)
- Con chile (with chili)
Now, let’s see how these words can add some flavor to your Spanish sentences:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Esta salsa está muy picante. | (This sauce is very spicy.) |
| ¡Cuidado! Esos tacos son bien enchilosos. | (Watch out! Those tacos are really spicy.) |
| Me encanta la comida picosa mexicana. | (I love spicy Mexican food.) |
| Prefiero mi comida con chile, por favor. | (I prefer my food with chili, please.) |
4. When hot in Spanish equals sexy
Alright, let’s turn up the heat a notch! (You’ve all been waiting for this section, right?! 😉)
In Spanish, just like in English, ‘hot’ can also mean attractive or sexy. And to be honest, it’s a fun way to flirt in Spanish…
But keep in mind, that there are different use cases for words for girls and for boys.
Let’s check them out!
Hot in Spanish for women
- Guapa (beautiful, attractive)
- Hermosa (gorgeous)
- Preciosa (precious, beautiful)
- Buena (hot, sexy – more colloquial)
Hot in Spanish for men
- Guapo (handsome, attractive)
- Hermoso (gorgeous)
- Precioso (handsome, beautiful)
- Bueno (hot, sexy – more colloquial)
Now, let’s see how you might use these expressions in a real-life conversation. Here’s a short, playful dialogue that could happen even to you!
Ana: “¡Hola Pablo! Estás muy guapo hoy.” (Hi Pablo! You look very handsome today.)
Pablo: “Gracias, Ana. Tú también estás muy guapa, como siempre.” (Thanks, Ana. You look very beautiful too, as always.)
Ana: “Qué amable. ¿Te gustaría tomar un café conmigo?” (How kind. Would you like to have a coffee with me?)
Pablo: “Claro, me encantaría. Eres preciosa por dentro y por fuera.” (Sure, I’d love to. You’re beautiful inside and out.)
5. Practice worksheet for using hot in Spanish
By now, you know that there are different ways to say hot in Spanish. And now, it’s time to practice!
Fill in the blanks with the correct forms of the words!
This was just a peek behind the scenes. If you want, you can practice more with the exercises from our Full Practice Worksheet Library.
6. Learn Spanish words for caliente with Conversation Based Chunking
Now, you already got some intro to this topic, but how can you truly master it?
Enter Conversation Based Chunking!
It’s a revolutionary method that focuses on lexical chunks – the natural building blocks of any language (even your mother tongue’s). What are they?
Well, they’re the most common expressions natives use all the time. So, instead of just focusing on all the grammar rules and the words one by one, you immerse yourself by listening to Spanish radio stations, watching the best Spanish TV shows on Netflix and more, and pick up the chunks naturally.
If you’re interested in this method, you have to sign up right now, and we’ll send you a FREE guide immediately!
