Chaud is probably the first word that comes to mind when you think of "hot" in French. But just like in English, "hot" can mean so many different things – from the temperature of the weather or a drink, to someone's attractiveness, or even a trending topic!To truly sound like a native speaker, you'll want to know the right word for the right kind of "hot." Whether you're describing a sweltering summer day, a spicy dish, or a captivating person, French offers a rich vocabulary.Let's explore 9 versatile ways to say "hot" in French, so you can express yourself with precision and flair!

The standard 'hot' (for objects, food, or weather) – chaud/chaude

Chaud/chaude is the most common and versatile word for 'hot' in French, primarily used for inanimate objects, food, drinks, and weather.

Like many French adjectives, chaud must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies: chauds and chaudes are the plural forms. For instance: chaud - masculine singular (e.g., un café chaud - a hot coffee), chaude - feminine singular (e.g., une journée chaude - a hot day).

You'll frequently use chaud to describe the temperature of objects. Think of a hot iron, a hot plate, or a hot car engine.

It's also the go-to word for describing the temperature of food and beverages. Whether it's a piping hot soup or a warm cup of tea, chaud is your word.

When talking about the weather, chaud is essential. You'll hear phrases like Il fait chaud (It's hot weather) or une journée chaude (a hot day).

Here's a crucial point: chaud/chaude is not used to describe a person as 'hot' in the sense of being attractive. If you say Il est chaud about a person, it could imply they are excited, horny, or sometimes even 'up for anything' in a slightly informal or vulgar way, depending on context.

To say a person is 'hot' (attractive) in French, you'd use different adjectives like beau/belle (beautiful/handsome), attirant(e) (attractive), or more colloquially, canon (gorgeous, often for both genders).

An important idiomatic expression is avoir chaud, which means 'to be hot' (feeling warm). For example, J'ai chaud means 'I am hot' (I feel warm), not 'I am attractive'.

In summary, remember chaud/chaude for anything that has a high temperature: your food, your drink, the weather, or an object. Just steer clear of using it directly for a person's physical attractiveness to avoid misunderstandings!

💡 * Le café est chaud. (The coffee is hot.)

J'aime les soupes chaudes en hiver. (I like hot soups in winter.)

Il fait chaud aujourd'hui. (It's hot today.)

Attention, la plaque est chaude ! (Careful, the plate is hot!)

Elle a chaud avec ce gros pull. (She is hot/feels warm with this big sweater.)

The 'burning hot' or 'scorching' – brûlant/brûlante

The “burning hot” or “scorching” – brûlant/brûlante

The French adjective brûlant (masculine) and brûlante (feminine) translates to “burning hot” or “scorching.” It describes something with extreme heat, often to the point of being painful or intensely felt.

Like many French adjectives, brûlant agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies. You'll use brûlant for masculine nouns (e.g., un soleil brûlant) and brûlante for feminine nouns (e.g., une eau brûlante).

Its most direct application is to describe physical objects or substances that are literally very hot. Think of a stove burner, boiling water, or the sun on a summer day that feels genuinely scorching.

Beyond literal heat, brûlant/brûlante is frequently used metaphorically to convey intensity or urgency. It can describe a 'burning' desire, a 'scorching' question, or a topic that is 'hot' or controversial.

You might encounter phrases like un désir brûlant (a burning desire), une question brûlante (a pressing/scorching question), or une actualité brûlante (a hot/breaking news story). These highlight the adjective's versatility in conveying strong feelings or immediate relevance.

While chaud simply means 'hot,' brûlant implies a much higher degree of heat, often with the connotation of being dangerously hot or intensely passionate. It adds a layer of emphasis that chaud alone doesn't always convey.

💡 * Attention, la poêle est brûlante ! (Careful, the pan is scorching hot!)* Elle ressentait un désir brûlant de voyager. (She felt a burning desire to travel.)* Le soleil était brûlant cet après-midi. (The sun was scorching this afternoon.)* C'est une question brûlante qui divise l'opinion publique. (It's a hot/pressing issue that divides public opinion.)* Ne touche pas cette tasse, l'eau est brûlante. (Don't touch that cup, the water is boiling hot.)

The 'torrid' or 'sweltering' (often for weather or atmosphere) – torride

The French adjective torride directly translates to 'torrid' in English, signifying intense heat, often to the point of being sweltering or scorching.

Its most frequent application is to describe weather or climatic conditions. Think of une chaleur torride (sweltering heat) or un été torride (a scorching summer).

Beyond literal heat, torride can also describe an atmosphere or a situation that is intensely passionate, ardent, or even scandalous. For instance, une nuit torride could imply a passionate night, not just a hot one.

Unlike many French adjectives, torride is invariable. This means it does not change its form to agree in gender or number with the noun it modifies. It remains torride whether the noun is masculine, feminine, singular, or plural.

While chaud simply means 'hot,' torride implies a much higher degree of heat or intensity, often with connotations of discomfort or extreme passion. It's a stronger, more vivid descriptor.

💡 * Il faisait une chaleur torride hier. (It was sweltering hot yesterday.)

Nous avons passé un été torride dans le sud de la France. (We spent a scorching summer in the south of France.)

Le couple a eu une liaison torride. (The couple had a passionate affair.)

L'ambiance était torride lors du concert. (The atmosphere was electric/intense at the concert.)

Attention aux rayons torrides du soleil en plein après-midi. (Beware of the scorching sun rays in the middle of the afternoon.)

The 'heatwave' or 'dog days' hot – caniculaire

The French adjective caniculaire translates to 'heatwave' or 'dog days' hot. It describes conditions of extreme and oppressive heat, typically associated with a canicule (heatwave).

It is most frequently used with nouns like chaleur (heat) or période (period) to emphasize the intensity of the hot weather. For instance, chaleur caniculaire means 'heatwave heat' or 'scorching heat'.

The word caniculaire derives from canicule, which itself comes from the Latin canicula, meaning 'little dog' and referring to Sirius, the Dog Star. Historically, the 'dog days' referred to the period when Sirius rose with the sun, coinciding with the hottest part of summer, thus conveying a strong sense of intense, prolonged heat.

As an adjective, caniculaire describes something as being related to a canicule (heatwave). It agrees in number with the noun it modifies (e.g., une chaleur caniculaire, des journées caniculaires). It is commonly used with nouns like chaleur (heat), période (period), journée (day), or été (summer).

💡 *La France a connu un été caniculaire cette année. (France experienced a heatwave summer this year.)
*Les températures caniculaires rendent le travail difficile. (The heatwave temperatures make work difficult.)
*Nous avons eu une période caniculaire la semaine dernière. (We had a heatwave period last week.)
*Évitez de sortir pendant les heures caniculaires. (Avoid going out during the hottest hours of the heatwave.)
*La chaleur caniculaire était insupportable. (The scorching heat was unbearable.)

The 'fiery' or 'passionate' hot (for temperament or a look) – ardent/ardente

The 'fiery' or 'passionate' hot (for temperament or a look) – ardent/ardente

Ardent (masculine) and ardente (feminine) translate to

When describing a person's temperament, ardent/ardente suggests a fiery, passionate, or intense nature. It implies strong feelings, enthusiasm, or dedication.

It can also be used to characterize a look or gaze, signifying intensity, passion, or even burning desire. An 'ardent regard' is a look full of deep emotion.

Remember to match the gender of the noun it modifies: use ardent for masculine nouns and ardente for feminine nouns. The plural forms are ardents and ardentes.

This adjective carries a strong, often positive, connotation of spiritedness, zeal, and profound emotion, making it more intense than simply 'hot' in temperature.

💡 * Il est un défenseur ardent de la liberté d'expression. (He is an ardent defender of freedom of speech.)

Elle a un regard ardent qui trahit sa passion. (She has a fiery gaze that betrays her passion.)

Les supporters étaient ardents, acclamant leur équipe. (The supporters were passionate, cheering for their team.)

Sa personnalité ardente la rend très charismatique. (Her passionate personality makes her very charismatic.)

The 'sexy' or 'attractive' (used for people) – sexy

In French, the word sexy is a direct loanword from English, and its meaning is essentially the same: attractive in a sexual way or arousing.

It is commonly used to describe people, both men and women, who possess qualities that are considered sexually appealing. It's a widely understood and frequently used adjective in modern French.

Unlike most French adjectives, sexy is invariable, meaning it doesn't change its form to agree with the gender or number of the noun it modifies. While sexy is straightforward, French also offers other words like charmant (charming), séduisant (seductive/attractive), or beau/belle (beautiful/handsome) for broader attractiveness.

Using sexy is generally considered informal and modern. It's perfectly acceptable in everyday conversation, pop culture, and media, but might be less common in very formal contexts where more traditional terms for attractiveness might be preferred.

💡 * Elle est vraiment sexy dans cette robe. (She's really sexy in that dress.)

Ce chanteur est si sexy ! (This singer is so sexy!)

J'adore sa voix, elle est très sexy. (I love his/her voice, it's very sexy.)

Tu trouves ça sexy ? (Do you find that sexy?)

The 'gorgeous' or 'stunning' (slang for a person) – canon

When you want to describe someone as gorgeous or stunning in French slang, the word to use is canon.

Canon is an informal adjective primarily used to describe a person's attractiveness. It's a versatile term, applicable to both men and women.

One of the interesting features of canon is that it's an invariable adjective. This means it does not change its form to agree with the gender or number of the noun it modifies. It remains 'canon' whether you're talking about a single person or multiple people, male or female.

💡 * Elle est vraiment canon! (She is really gorgeous!)

Ton nouveau petit ami est canon. (Your new boyfriend is stunning.)

Ces deux actrices sont canons sur le tapis rouge. (These two actresses are stunning on the red carpet.)

Il a vu une fille canon au café. (He saw a gorgeous girl at the cafe.)

Ils sont tous canon dans cette série. (They are all stunning in this series.)

The 'handsome' or 'beautiful' (implying attractive) – beau/belle

The French adjective beau (masculine singular) and belle (feminine singular) are perhaps the most common ways to express “handsome” or “beautiful,” referring to physical attractiveness in people, animals, or objects.

Like most French adjectives, beau/belle must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. The forms are: beau (masculine singular), belle (feminine singular), beaux (masculine plural), and belles (feminine plural). A special form, bel, is used for masculine singular nouns that start with a vowel or a silent 'h' (e.g., un bel homme - a handsome man).

Beau/belle typically precedes the noun it describes, making it one of the common adjectives that don't follow the noun. It can be used broadly to describe people, animals, objects, places, and even abstract concepts like a

💡 * Il a de beaux yeux. (He has beautiful eyes.)

C'est une belle journée aujourd'hui. (It's a beautiful day today.)

J'ai acheté un beau tableau. (I bought a beautiful painting.)

Elle est vraiment belle dans cette robe. (She is truly beautiful in that dress.)

Quel bel appartement! (What a beautiful apartment!)

The 'seductive' or 'alluring' (implying attractive) – séduisant/séduisante

The French adjective séduisant (masculine) or séduisante (feminine) directly translates to 'seductive' or 'alluring'. While it can imply literal seduction, it's very commonly used to mean 'attractive' in a broader sense.

Like most French adjectives, séduisant agrees in gender with the noun it modifies. So, you'll use séduisant for masculine nouns (e.g., un homme séduisant) and séduisante for feminine nouns (e.g., une femme séduisante). It often describes someone or something that has a captivating charm or appeal.

It's important to note that séduisant/séduisante doesn't always carry a strong sexual connotation. It can describe a person's charm, a product's appeal, or an idea's attractiveness. Think of it as 'charming,' 'captivating,' or 'appealing' rather than strictly 'seductive' in every context.

This adjective isn't limited to describing people. You can use it for anything that has an appealing quality, such as une offre séduisante (an attractive offer), un projet séduisant (an appealing project), or une idée séduisante (an alluring idea). It highlights the power to draw someone in.

💡 * Elle a trouvé son sourire très séduisant. (She found his smile very attractive/charming.)

C'est une femme séduisante et intelligente. (She is an attractive and intelligent woman.)

Le nouveau modèle de voiture est très séduisant. (The new car model is very appealing.)

Le projet qu'il a présenté était vraiment séduisant. (The project he presented was really alluring/attractive.)

Son accent étranger la rendait encore plus séduisante. (Her foreign accent made her even more captivating.)

Are there other ways to say 'hot' in French?

Our list features the most common ways to say 'hot' in French, covering various contexts like temperature, attractiveness, and spiciness. But French is a rich language with many nuances, and you'll find other terms, from formal expressions to regional slang, that convey different shades of 'hot'.

To dive deeper, you can also do an online search for 'comment dire chaud en ___' followed by a specific Francophone country or region to discover local expressions.

You might find some interesting synonyms or idiomatic expressions for chaud on this list. Of course, make sure to check a word’s definition and, more importantly, try to see it used in context before you use it yourself, as meanings can vary widely.

Pay attention as you read, watch, and listen to things in French — you may discover different ways to talk about 'hot' that perfectly fit the situation.

And if you’re looking for a comprehensive breakdown of the various meanings and uses of chaud and related terms, the WordReference entry for chaud is an excellent place to start!

I hope you found this article helpful in navigating the multifaceted world of 'hot' in French. Here’s a fitting thought to conclude, emphasizing the beauty of linguistic precision: "La nuance est le cœur de la langue." (Nuance is the heart of language.)

9 ways to say "hot" in French