In German
heiß
Meaning: hot
Formal or informal? “Heiß” is hot, for temperature and for heat. For warm (pleasantly), German uses “warm”.
Example sentences
Der Kaffee ist sehr heiß.
The coffee is very hot.
Heute ist es furchtbar heiß.
Today it is terribly hot.
Eine heiße Suppe, bitte.
A hot soup, please.
Grammar note
Before a noun it takes agreeing endings: “ein heißer Tag” (masculine), “eine heiße Suppe” (feminine), “ein heißes Wasser” (neuter). The ß is written, not ss.
Common mistake
Write “heiß” with ß. Don't use “warm” for very hot food or weather; “heiß” is the right word for scorching heat.
Quick check
Which German word means “hot”?
More words on this topic
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Practise it in a lesson →Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between “heiß” and “warm”?
“Heiß” is hot, while “warm” is pleasantly warm.
What is the comparative of “heiß”?
“Heißer” (hotter), and the superlative is “am heißesten”.