What are the true meanings and uses of calor, caliente, pica, and picante in Spanish?

One fun (and sometimes difficult!) thing about learning a new language is trying to pick up on all the differences between your native language and the one you’re learning. It’s normal for us to try to directly translate our ideas into the language we’re learning from our native language and although sometimes this method is effective, other times it can cause some confusion or get us into an embarrassing situation. We have learned that these nuances are much easier to learn in an immersion situation as you are communicating in real-time. Even if the person you’re speaking with doesn’t come right out to tell you that what you’ve said isn’t correct, if you’re observant, you can see their facial expression change to either confusion or surprise and this opens you up to ask where you went wrong.

As a learner of Spanish, these situations, although embarrassing, have definitely forced me to learn these new vocabulary words and their uses. We tell our students to keep a sense of humor. Especially here in the Yucatan Peninsula, the people are so kind and happy that you’re learning Spanish, they don’t mind the occasionally embarrassing or funny slip-ups. 

 In this blog, we’re going to teach you all the different words in Spanish for the adjective ‘hot’ in English. In English, the adjective ‘hot’ is used for many different situations. We usually can understand the specific meaning of what someone is trying to say through the context, body language and intonation. In Spanish, however, we don’t use just one word to say that a plate is hot, or that the salsa is hot, or that it’s hot outside, or that we’re hot and sweaty, or that the actor in your new series is hot. There are several words to express the different meanings of ‘hot’ and here is a list to help you learn and understand their uses so you don’t get yourself in an awkward situation! 

HOT

In Spanish:

• Hay calor.

• La arena está caliente.

• Tengo calor del sol.

• ¡Hijole! Esta salsa pica!

• ¡Hijole! Esta salsa está picante!

• Me siento caliente. Siento que tengo calentura.

• Oye, ¡ese nuevo actor es muy sexy!

• … Estoy caliente por tí. (!)

  In English:

  • It’s hot outside.

  • The sand is hot.

  • I’m hot from being in the sun

  • Wow! This salsa is hot!

  • I feel hot. I think I have a fever.

  • Ooh, that new actor is hot!

  • … I’m hot for you. (!)

So, as you can see, the different words in Spanish have different meanings. Let’s go through each of these examples:

Adjetivo

(adjective)

Significado

(meaning)

Uso en español

(use)

Traducción al inglés

(translation)

Calor

weather heat

Hay calor.

It’s hot outside.

personal temperature heat

Tengo calor.

I’m hot (because it’s hot in here). 

Pica

spicy

Pica esta salsa.

This salsa is hot.

Picante

spicy

Esta salsa es picante.

This salsa is hot.

Caliente

temperature hot to the touch 

Cuidado, el plato está caliente.

Be careful. The plate is hot.

to say that you’re turned on (in a sexual way)

Estoy caliente (por tí).

I’m hot for you.

Muy sexy

to say that someone is hot and very sexy

¡Ese actor es muy sexy!

That actor is hot!

Remember, learning Spanish is all about practice and having fun with it.

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The best way to experience the Mexican lifestyle is in person, with a Na’atik Immersion experience. Not only do you live with a local Mexican-Maya family, sharing home-cooked meals and free time, but also receive expert instruction in your chosen language at our school. Best of all, every immersion experience helps fund our subsidized and free local education program, helping local students to access opportunities and make their own futures.