덥다
deopda
to be hot (weather/air temperature)
뜨겁다
tteugeopda
to be hot (object you can touch)
덥다 vs 뜨겁다: Hot Weather vs Hot Objects in Korean
덥다 (deopda) describes hot air or weather you feel around you, while 뜨겁다 (tteugeopda) describes something physically hot that you can touch, like food, coffee, or a surface.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| 덥다 (deopda) | 뜨겁다 (tteugeopda) | |
|---|---|---|
| Type of Heat | Ambient heat — air, weather, room temperature | Contact heat — food, drinks, surfaces, objects |
| Sensation | General body warmth felt in the environment | Direct heat felt when touching something |
| Typical Subjects | 오늘 (today), 날씨 (weather), 방 (room), 여름 (summer) | 커피 (coffee), 국 (soup), 냄비 (pot), 바닥 (floor) |
| Can Describe Food? | No — food is not weather | Yes — hot food/drinks use 뜨겁다 |
| Opposite | 춥다 (chupda, cold weather) | 차갑다 (chagapda, cold to the touch) |
Examples in Context
Complaining about summer heat outside — using 덥다
오늘 너무 더워서 밖에 나가기 싫어.
It's so hot today that I don't want to go outside.
Saying a room feels stuffy and hot — using 덥다
에어컨 틀어 줘. 방이 너무 더워.
Turn on the air conditioner. The room is too hot.
Warning someone about hot coffee — using 뜨겁다
커피 뜨거우니까 조심해.
The coffee is hot, so be careful.
Burning your hand on a pot — using 뜨겁다
냄비가 너무 뜨거워서 손을 댈 수가 없었어.
The pot was so hot I couldn't touch it.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- ✗Saying 국이 더워요 (the soup is hot) — this is wrong. Food uses 뜨거워요, not 더워요.
- ✗Using 뜨겁다 for weather, like 오늘 뜨거워 — this sounds unnatural. Weather always uses 덥다.
- ✗Forgetting that the opposite of 뜨겁다 is 차갑다, not 춥다. 춥다 is for cold weather only.
- ✗Mixing up 따뜻하다 (warm, pleasant) with 뜨겁다 (dangerously hot to the touch).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I say 날씨가 뜨거워요?
It sounds unnatural to most Koreans. 날씨가 더워요 is the correct and natural way to say the weather is hot.
What about body temperature — is a fever 덥다 or 뜨겁다?
You'd say 열이 나다 (to have a fever) or describe the forehead as 뜨겁다 (hot to the touch), since touching the skin gives the sensation.
How do I say 'warm' for both weather and objects?
따뜻하다 (ttatteutada) works for both pleasantly warm weather and warm objects. It sits between 덥다/뜨겁다 and cold on the temperature scale.
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