What does 暑 mean in Japanese?
暑 means “hot” when you talk about the weather or the air around you. The key word is 暑い (atsui).
For hot food, drinks, and objects, Japanese uses a different kanji: 熱い.
Reading
On’yomi: ショ (sho)
Kun’yomi: あつ-い (atsu-i)
Basic Information
| Kanji | 暑 |
|---|---|
| Meaning | hot (weather) |
| Stroke Count | 12 |
| JLPT Level | N4 |
How to Understand This Kanji
あつい can be written three ways: 暑い for hot weather, 熱い for hot things such as tea or a bath, and 厚い for thick objects such as a book. 暑い is about how the air feels, so you can say 部屋が暑い (the room is hot) as well as 今日は暑い (it’s hot today).
Common Words
- 暑い（あつい / atsui） — hot (weather, air)
- 暑さ（あつさ / atsusa） — the heat, hot weather
- 蒸し暑い（むしあつい / mushiatsui） — hot and humid
- 残暑（ざんしょ / zansho） — lingering summer heat
- 暑中見舞い（しょちゅうみまい / shochuumimai） — summer greeting card
- 避暑（ひしょ / hisho） — getting away from the summer heat
Example Sentences
-
今日もとても暑いですね。
きょうもとてもあついですね。 / Kyou mo totemo atsui desu ne.
It’s very hot again today, isn’t it?
-
暑くて、夜あまり寝られませんでした。
あつくて、よるあまりねられませんでした。 / Atsukute, yoru amari neraremasen deshita.
It was so hot that I couldn’t sleep much at night.
-
九月になっても、まだ残暑が続いています。
くがつになっても、まだざんしょがつづいています。 / Kugatsu ni natte mo, mada zansho ga tsuzuite imasu.
Even though it’s September, the summer heat is still hanging on.
When Learners Usually See This Kanji
暑い is an い-adjective, so it changes like other い-adjectives: 暑くない (not hot) and 暑かった (was hot). For weather, its opposite is 寒い (samui, cold).
Summary
Use 暑い for hot weather, 熱い for hot things, and remember 暑 in 暑さ and 蒸し暑い.
Want to study more JLPT N4 kanji by theme? See our JLPT N4 Kanji Study List.