How to Say Hot, Cold, Warm, and Cool Weather in Korean with Degree Expressions
Learn Korean temperature words like 더워요, 추워요, 따뜻해요, and 시원해요, plus degree expressions such as 정말 and 너무, so you can describe how hot or cold it feels today.
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
Korean has a small set of everyday adjectives for temperature, and they work differently from English 'it is hot.' In Korean you usually attach the polite ending -아요 or -어요 directly to the adjective: 더워요 (deowoyo) means 'it's hot,' and 추워요 (chuwoyo) means 'it's cold.' To make the feeling stronger, you add a degree word before the adjective, such as 정말 (jeongmal, really), 너무 (neomu, too/so), or 아주 (aju, very). This lesson gives you the core temperature adjectives, the degree words that go with them, and the natural sentence patterns for talking about today's weather.
By the end, you can…
- say that the weather is hot, cold, warm, or cool in polite Korean.
- add degree words like 정말, 너무, and 아주 to describe how hot or cold it feels.
- ask and answer a simple question about today's temperature.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
오늘 정말 더워요.
It's really hot today.
oneul jeongmal deowoyo
Use for hot summer weather or a heated room. 더워요 comes from 덥다 (hot weather).
오늘 너무 추워요.
It's so cold today.
oneul neomu chuwoyo
Use for cold winter weather. 너무 often means 'so' or 'too' in everyday speech.
날씨가 따뜻해요.
The weather is warm.
nalssiga ttatteuthaeyo
Use for pleasant spring or early autumn weather. 따뜻하다 means warm to the touch or warm weather.
오늘은 시원해요.
It's cool today.
oneureun siwoneoyo
Use for refreshingly cool weather, a cool breeze, or a cool drink. 시원하다 is positive, not cold in a bad way.
오늘 영하 5도예요.
It's minus 5 degrees today.
oneul yeongha odo-yeyo
Use for below-freezing temperatures. 영하 (yeongha) means 'below zero'; 도 (do) means 'degrees.'
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The basic pattern is [time word] + [degree word] + [temperature adjective] + -아요/-어요. For example, 오늘 정말 더워요 (It's really hot today) and 오늘 너무 추워요 (It's so cold today). The adjective changes form: 덥다 becomes 더워요, 춥다 becomes 추워요, 따뜻하다 becomes 따뜻해요, and 시원하다 becomes 시원해요. Degree words go before the adjective, not after it. 정말 and 아주 are neutral intensifiers, while 너무 is very common in speech and often means 'so' rather than strictly 'too.'
When to use it
Use 더워요 for hot weather or a hot room, and 추워요 for cold weather or feeling cold. Use 따뜻해요 for comfortably warm weather, and 시원해요 for pleasantly cool weather or a refreshing breeze. If you want to mention the actual temperature, say 오늘 영하 5도예요 (It's minus 5 degrees today) or 오늘 30도예요 (It's 30 degrees today). In Korean, 도 means 'degrees,' and 영하 means 'below zero.' You can also ask 오늘 날씨 어때요? (How's the weather today?) and answer with one of the temperature sentences.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
오늘 날씨 어때요?
How's the weather today?oneul nalssi eottaeyo?오늘 정말 더워요. 30도예요.
It's really hot today. It's 30 degrees.oneul jeongmal deowoyo. samsip do-yeyo.그래요? 저는 추운 날씨가 더 좋아요.
Really? I prefer cold weather.geuraeyo? jeoneun chuun nalssiga deo joayo.그럼 겨울에 한국에 오세요. 겨울은 너무 추워요.
Then come to Korea in winter. Winter is so cold.geureom gyeoure hanguge oseyo. gyeoureun neomu chuwoyo.A little context goes a long way
Korean temperature adjectives describe the weather or the environment, not usually a person's personality. Saying 사람이 더워요 would sound odd; say 날씨가 더워요 or 방이 더워요 instead. Also, 너무 is extremely common in casual polite speech and often simply means 'so,' even though it can also mean 'too much.' In more formal settings, 아주 or 매우 may sound slightly more neutral.
One thing to watch for
Using 덥다 and 춥다 as if they were unchanged dictionary forms in a sentence, for example 오늘 덥다.
Try this instead: In polite conversation, conjugate the adjective with -아요/-어요: 오늘 더워요 (It's hot today) and 오늘 추워요 (It's cold today). The dictionary forms 덥다 and 춥다 are fine in writing or when you are naming the word, but not as a complete polite sentence.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How would you say 'It's really cold today' in polite Korean?
Show a sample answer
오늘 정말 추워요.
정말 means 'really,' and 추워요 is the polite form of 춥다 (cold). 오늘 너무 추워요 is also correct and very natural.
2Which Korean adjective would you use for pleasantly cool weather, 시원해요 or 추워요?
Show a sample answer
시원해요.
시원해요 means 'cool' in a refreshing, positive way. 추워요 means 'cold' and usually suggests you feel cold, not refreshed.
3How do you say 'It's minus 5 degrees today'?
Show a sample answer
오늘 영하 5도예요.
영하 means 'below zero,' 5도 means '5 degrees,' and 예요 is the polite copula. 오늘은 영하 5도예요 is also fine.
Learn the four core adjectives 더워요, 추워요, 따뜻해요, and 시원해요, then add 정말, 너무, or 아주 before them to say how hot or cold it feels. For exact temperatures, use 도 for degrees and 영하 for below zero.
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