When summer gets really hot in Japan, Japanese people don’t just say 暑い（あつい）!

There are many expressions to describe extreme heat, humidity, sweating, and that “I’m melting!” feeling. Here are some useful ones you’ll hear in everyday conversation.

🥵 暑すぎる（あつすぎる）— It’s too hot!

～すぎる means “too much” or “excessively.”

今日、暑すぎる！
It’s way too hot today!

This is a very common casual expression when the temperature feels unbearable.

💦 蒸し暑い（むしあつい）— Hot and humid / Muggy

蒸し暑い（むしあつい） describes weather that is hot + humid, making you feel sticky and uncomfortable.

今日きょうは蒸むし暑あついですね。
It’s really hot and humid today.

🥵 ムシムシする — It feels hot and humid

ムシムシする describes the feeling of being hot, humid, and stuffy.

外そとはムシムシするね。
It’s so hot and humid outside.

💡 蒸し暑い（むしあつい） and ムシムシする are similar, but ムシムシする focuses more on the uncomfortable feeling of the humidity.

💧 ジメジメする — It feels damp and humid

ジメジメする means damp, humid, or clammy.

It’s often used when the air or surroundings feel wet and uncomfortable.

今日きょうはジメジメしてる。
It’s so damp and humid today.

💡 You’ll often hear ジメジメ during Japan’s rainy season, too.

🫠 溶けそう（とけそう）— I feel like I’m melting!

Literally, 溶ける（とける） means “to melt.”

～そう means “looks like / seems like.”

So:

暑あつすぎて、溶とけそう！
It’s so hot, I feel like I’m melting!

This is a casual, dramatic way to express how hot you feel.

💦 汗が止まらない（あせがとまらない）— I can’t stop sweating

汗（あせ） = sweat
止まらない（とまらない） = can’t stop

暑あつくて汗あせが止とまらない！
It’s so hot, I can’t stop sweating!

A very useful expression when you’re outside on a hot summer day!

🔥 焼けるように暑い（やけるようにあつい）— It’s scorching hot

Literally, this means “hot as if I’m being roasted/burned.”

外そとは焼やけるように暑あつい。
It’s scorching hot outside.

This expression emphasizes intense, burning heat.

☀️ 暑さが厳しい（あつさがきびしい）— The heat is intense

暑さ（あつさ） means “heat,” and 厳しい（きびしい） means “severe” or “intense.”

今年ことしは暑あつさが厳きびしいですね。
The heat is intense this year.

This sounds a little more formal and is common in weather reports and everyday conversations.

🌞 So, how hot is it?

You can go beyond simply saying 暑い（あつい）！

暑い（あつい） → It’s hot.
暑すぎる（あつすぎる） → It’s too hot!
蒸し暑い（むしあつい） → It’s hot and humid.
ムシムシする → It feels hot and humid.
ジメジメする → It feels damp and humid.
溶けそう（とけそう） → I feel like I’m melting!
汗が止まらない（あせがとまらない） → I can’t stop sweating!
焼けるように暑い（やけるようにあつい） → It’s scorching hot.
暑さが厳しい（あつさがきびしい） → The heat is intense.

Summer in Japan can be hot and humid, but now you have the vocabulary to describe exactly how you feel!

If you want to learn Japanese, improve your skills, or connect with native speakers and other learners, we can help. We offer one-on-one lessons and a supportive community!

Website: nihongonana.com
Email: support@nihongonana.com

✅Private Lesson: NihongoNana Private Lessons
✅Online Community: NihongoNana Community