fare caldo
To be hot
Phrase in 30 Seconds
Use 'fare caldo' to describe the weather or the temperature in a room when it's hot.
- Means: The weather is hot or it is hot in here.
- Used in: Daily small talk, weather reports, and complaining about summer.
- Don't confuse: Use 'ho caldo' for 'I feel hot' and 'fa caldo' for 'it is hot'.
Explanation at your level:
뜻
Describing high temperature.
문화적 배경
The concept of 'Afa' is central to Italian summer. It refers to stagnant, humid heat that makes 'fare caldo' feel much worse. Italians will often specify 'fa un caldo afoso'. In the South, the 'Controra' is the period between 2 PM and 5 PM when 'fa troppo caldo' to do anything. Shops close and streets are deserted. In August, cities like Milan or Florence become 'città deserte' because 'fa un caldo bestiale' and everyone moves to the 'refrigerio' (coolness) of the mountains or sea. Complaining about the heat ('lamentarsi del caldo') is a standard social bonding ritual. It is never considered rude to comment on how hot it is.
The 'Avere' Rule
Always remember: People HAVE heat (avere caldo), the weather MAKES heat (fare caldo).
Avoid 'Io sono caldo'
This is a very common mistake that can lead to embarrassing misunderstandings as it can imply sexual arousal.
뜻
Describing high temperature.
The 'Avere' Rule
Always remember: People HAVE heat (avere caldo), the weather MAKES heat (fare caldo).
Avoid 'Io sono caldo'
This is a very common mistake that can lead to embarrassing misunderstandings as it can imply sexual arousal.
Use 'Caldissimo'
Instead of saying 'molto caldo', Italians almost always use the absolute superlative 'caldissimo' in casual conversation.
셀프 테스트
Complete the sentence with the correct form of 'fare'.
Oggi ______ molto caldo fuori.
Weather expressions always use the third person singular 'fa'.
How do you say 'I am hot' in Italian?
Choose the correct translation:
To express personal feelings of temperature, Italians use 'avere' (to have).
Match the situation to the correct phrase.
You are describing the weather in Rome last summer.
The imperfect tense 'faceva' is used for descriptions in the past.
Complete the dialogue.
A: Possiamo andare a correre? B: No, ora ______ troppo caldo.
We use 'fa' to describe the ambient temperature that makes it too hot to run.
Match the Italian phrase to its English meaning.
1. Fa caldo, 2. Ho caldo, 3. È caldo
This distinguishes between ambient heat, personal feeling, and object temperature.
🎉 점수: /5
시각 학습 자료
Fare vs. Avere vs. Essere
자주 묻는 질문
10 질문It's grammatically okay but redundant. Italians just say 'Fa caldo'.
It is neutral. You can use it with your boss or your best friend.
You say 'Inizia a fare caldo' or 'Si sta scaldando'.
'Caldo' is the sensation/weather; 'calore' is the physical energy (heat).
No, never. Use 'avere caldo' for people.
Use 'Fa troppo caldo'.
No, weather expressions with 'fare' are always singular.
It's a very informal way to say 'it's incredibly hot'.
No, for food use 'essere caldo'. Example: 'La pasta è calda'.
Simply ask: 'Fa caldo fuori?'
관련 표현
fare freddo
contrastTo be cold (weather)
avere caldo
similarTo feel hot
fare bel tempo
builds onTo be good weather
un caldo da morire
specialized formDeathly hot
어디서 쓸까?
At the beach
Marco: Mamma mia, oggi fa un caldo pazzesco!
Giulia: Sì, andiamo in acqua subito.
In a crowded bus
Passeggero 1: Scusi, può aprire il finestrino? Fa caldo qui.
Passeggero 2: Certo, ha ragione, l'aria è irrespirabile.
Weather forecast
Presentatore: Domani farà molto caldo su tutto il Sud Italia.
Spettatore: Uffa, ancora! Non ne posso più.
Texting a friend
Luca: Usciamo stasera?
Sara: Meglio tardi, ora fa troppo caldo per camminare.
In the office
Collega A: Ti dispiace se accendo il condizionatore? Fa caldo.
Collega B: Fai pure, stavo per chiedertelo io.
Arriving on vacation
Turista: Wow, appena scesi dall'aereo... fa un caldo incredibile!
Guida: Benvenuti in Sicilia!
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of a chef: He 'makes' (fa) the 'heat' (caldo) in the kitchen. The weather is the chef of the world.
Visual Association
Imagine a giant hand in the sky (the hand of 'Fare') holding a frying pan over Italy, 'making' the heat rise from the pavement.
Rhyme
Se fuori il sole sta a guardare, 'fa caldo' devi dire, non sbagliare!
Story
A tourist in Rome says 'Io sono caldo' to a local. The local laughs and points to the sun, saying 'No, il sole fa caldo! Tu hai caldo!'. The tourist learns that the sun 'makes' the heat, but humans 'have' it.
Word Web
챌린지
Go through your day and every time you step outside or into a new room, whisper to yourself 'Fa caldo' or 'Non fa caldo'.
In Other Languages
Hace calor
Spanish uses the noun 'calor' while Italian uses 'caldo' (which can be an adjective or noun).
Il fait chaud
French requires the subject 'il', whereas Italian is pro-drop and just says 'fa'.
Es ist heiß
German uses 'to be' while Italian uses 'to make'.
暑い (Atsui)
Japanese is adjective-based; Italian is verb-based.
الجو حار (Al-jawwu hārr)
Arabic explicitly mentions 'the weather' as the subject.
天气很热 (Tiānqì hěn rè)
Chinese uses an adverbial structure without a 'making' verb.
날씨가 더워요 (Nalssiga deowoyo)
Korean conjugates the adjective itself to show tense and politeness.
Está calor
Portuguese primarily uses 'estar' to describe the current state of the weather.
Easily Confused
Learners use it for weather or themselves.
Only use 'essere caldo' for objects (like food or a radiator).
Using the noun 'calore' instead of 'caldo'.
'Calore' is for physics/science; 'caldo' is for weather.
자주 묻는 질문 (10)
It's grammatically okay but redundant. Italians just say 'Fa caldo'.
It is neutral. You can use it with your boss or your best friend.
You say 'Inizia a fare caldo' or 'Si sta scaldando'.
'Caldo' is the sensation/weather; 'calore' is the physical energy (heat).
No, never. Use 'avere caldo' for people.
Use 'Fa troppo caldo'.
No, weather expressions with 'fare' are always singular.
It's a very informal way to say 'it's incredibly hot'.
No, for food use 'essere caldo'. Example: 'La pasta è calda'.
Simply ask: 'Fa caldo fuori?'
