How to Say "lukewarm" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “lukewarm” is “tibio” — use 'tibio' for liquids or food that are neither hot nor cold, a general term for lukewarm..
tibio
/TEE-byoh//ˈti.βjo/
Examples
Me gusta ducharme con agua tibia.
I like to shower with lukewarm water.
El café ya está tibio; deberías calentarlo.
The coffee is already lukewarm; you should heat it up.
Disfrutamos de una tarde tibia en el jardín.
We enjoyed a mild afternoon in the garden.
Matching Gender with Water
Even though we say 'el agua' (using a masculine word for 'the'), the word 'agua' is actually feminine. So, you must say 'el agua tibia' with an 'a' at the end of the adjective.
Adjective Placement
Place 'tibio' after the noun it describes to sound most natural when talking about temperature (e.g., 'leche tibia').
Using 'caliente' for 'warm'
Mistake: “El agua está muy caliente (when you mean it's just comfortable).”
Correction: Use 'tibia' if the water is comfortably warm. 'Caliente' usually means it's quite hot!
templado
/tem-PLAH-doh//temˈplaðo/
Examples
Lávate la cara con agua templada.
Wash your face with lukewarm water.
El café ya está templado, no quema nada.
The coffee is already lukewarm; it doesn't burn at all.
Prefiero beber la leche templada antes de dormir.
I prefer to drink lukewarm milk before going to sleep.
Temporary States
When talking about a drink that cooled down, use the verb 'estar' (to be) because it's a temporary state.
Using 'caliente' for everything
Mistake: “El agua está caliente (when you mean lukewarm).”
Correction: Use 'templada' or 'tibia' if the water is just pleasantly warm and doesn't burn.
Tibio vs. Templado
Related Translations
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