caliente
“caliente” means “hot” in Spanish. It has 3 different meanings depending on context:
hot
Also: warm
📝 In Action
Cuidado, el plato está muy caliente.
A1Be careful, the plate is very hot.
Me gusta tomar un chocolate caliente en invierno.
A1I like to drink hot chocolate in the winter.
El agua de la ducha está perfectamente caliente.
A2The shower water is perfectly warm.
horny
Also: passionate, angry
📝 In Action
Es una persona de sangre caliente, se enoja con facilidad.
B2He's a hot-blooded person, he gets angry easily.
El entrenador se puso caliente con el árbitro por la mala decisión.
B2The coach got angry with the referee for the bad call.
En la película, el personaje principal es un amante muy caliente y apasionado.
C1In the movie, the main character is a very hot and passionate lover.
tense
Also: heated, hot
📝 In Action
La cosa se está poniendo caliente en la oficina por los despidos.
B2Things are getting tense at the office because of the layoffs.
La inmigración es un tema caliente en la política actual.
B2Immigration is a hot topic in politics right now.
Tuvieron una discusión muy caliente sobre dinero.
B1They had a very heated argument about money.
🔀 Commonly Confused With
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: caliente
Question 1 of 2
A friend touches a cup of coffee and pulls their hand back. What would they most likely say?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Latin word 'calentem', which is related to the verb 'calēre', meaning 'to be hot' or 'to glow'.
First recorded: 12th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between 'caliente' and 'caluroso'?
'Caliente' is a general word for 'hot' that you can use for almost anything—soup, a car engine, water. 'Caluroso' is special because it's almost always used to describe the weather. You'd say 'un día caluroso' (a hot day), but not 'una sopa calurosa'.
Can I say 'El sol es caliente'?
Yes, you can, because the sun being hot is an inherent, defining characteristic. However, it's much more common for people to talk about the effect of the sun, saying things like 'Hoy hace mucho calor' (It's very hot today) or 'El sol calienta mucho' (The sun heats a lot).