Confusing Words · TOPIK I
덥다 vs 뜨겁다 vs 따뜻하다
hot (weather, air) · hot (to the touch) · warm, pleasant
English uses “hot” for both the weather and the coffee; Korean doesn’t. 덥다 is hot air around you, 뜨겁다 is a hot thing you touch, and 따뜻하다 is a pleasant warmth.
At a glance
| Word | Core meaning | Nuance | Typical pattern |
|---|---|---|---|
| 덥다 | hot (weather, room, body feeling) | The air around you; usually uncomfortable. ㅂ irregular: 더워요. | 날씨가 덥다 방이 덥다 |
| 뜨겁다 | hot (to the touch) | Food, drinks, water, objects, strong sunlight. ㅂ irregular: 뜨거워요. | 물이 뜨겁다 뜨거운 커피 |
| 따뜻하다 | warm | Pleasantly warm weather, food, clothes; also a warm heart. | 날씨가 따뜻하다 따뜻한 옷 |
How they differ
1. Hot air vs hot things. 날씨가 더워요 ○ / 날씨가 뜨거워요 ✕. 커피가 뜨거워요 ○ / 커피가 더워요 ✕. Ask: am I feeling the air, or touching the thing?
2. 따뜻하다 is the comfortable one. 따뜻하다 is warmth you like: 봄 날씨가 따뜻해요, 따뜻한 차. Once it becomes too much, the weather turns 덥다 and a drink turns 뜨겁다.
3. “Warm clothes” and “warm heart”. 따뜻한 옷 ○ / 더운 옷 ✕. Only 따뜻하다 is used for people: 마음이 따뜻한 사람 (a warm-hearted person).
4. Sunlight can be 뜨겁다. The air is 덥다, but the sun’s heat on your skin is felt like touch: 햇볕이 뜨거워요 (the sun is scorching) is natural.
| Sentence | 덥다 | 뜨겁다 | 따뜻하다 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 오늘은 날씨가 정말 ___. 에어컨 좀 켜 주세요. | ◎ | ✕ | ✕ |
| 커피가 너무 ___. 조심하세요. | ✕ | ◎ | △ |
| 봄이 되어서 날씨가 ___. | △ | ✕ | ◎ |
| 추운 날에는 ___ 차를 마시고 싶어요. | ✕ | ○ | ◎ |
| 친구가 ___ 말로 위로해 줬어요. | ✕ | ✕ | ◎ |
◎ natural ○ possible △ awkward ✕ wrong
In use
한국의 여름은 아주 더워요.
Summers in Korea are very hot.
방이 더워서 창문을 열었어요.
The room was hot, so I opened the window.
국이 뜨거우니까 천천히 드세요.
The soup is hot, so eat it slowly.
뜨거운 물로 샤워했어요.
I took a shower with hot water.
오늘은 바람도 없고 날씨가 따뜻해요.
There’s no wind today and the weather is warm.
겨울에는 따뜻한 옷을 입으세요.
Wear warm clothes in winter.
One step further
The cold side follows the same logic: 춥다 (cold air), 차갑다 (cold to the touch), 시원하다 (pleasantly cool). For “it’s getting hot”, add -아/어지다: 날씨가 더워졌어요.
Common mistakes
커피가 너무 더워요.
커피가 너무 뜨거워요.
English “hot” covers both, but something hot to the touch (food, drinks, water) is 뜨겁다.
오늘은 날씨가 뜨거워요.
오늘은 날씨가 더워요.
Hot weather or a hot room is 덥다; 뜨겁다 is for things you touch (햇볕이 뜨거워요 for strong sunlight is fine).
겨울에는 더운 옷을 입으세요.
겨울에는 따뜻한 옷을 입으세요.
“Warm clothes” are 따뜻한 옷; 덥다 means uncomfortably hot.
Practice
Fill in the blank with the right word: 덥다, 뜨겁다, 따뜻하다
1. 한국의 8월은 정말 ___. 35도까지 올라가요.
Answer
더워요 — Hot weather → 덥다.
2. 라면이 아주 ___. 입 조심하세요.
Answer
뜨거워요 — Food that can burn you → 뜨겁다.
3. 봄에는 날씨가 ___ 꽃이 많이 펴요.
Answer
따뜻해서 — Pleasant spring weather → 따뜻하다.
4. 에어컨이 고장 나서 사무실이 너무 ___.
Answer
더워요 — An uncomfortably hot room → 덥다.
5. 그 선생님은 마음이 ___ 분이에요.
Answer
따뜻한 — A kind heart is 따뜻하다 only.
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