How Hot Is It in Korea? 20 Korean Phrases That Describe Summer Heat

🌡 Basic Descriptions of Heat

덥다 (deop-da)
The standard word for "hot" (weather). Use this for a warm day.

오늘 정말 덥네요! – It's really hot today!

무덥다 (mu-deop-da)
Hot and humid. It’s that sticky, unpleasant heat.

오늘은 무덥고 찝찝해요. – It's hot and sticky today.

폭염 (pok-yeom)
A heatwave — dangerously high temperatures.

폭염 주의보가 내려졌어요. – A heatwave warning was issued.

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🔥 Extreme Heat: It’s Brutal Out There

찜통더위 (jjim-tong-deo-wi)
Literally "steamer heat" — like living inside a sauna or rice cooker.

찜통더위에 나가기가 무서워요. – It's too hot to even go outside.

불볕더위 (bul-byeot-deo-wi)
“Scorching sun” — heat under a burning sky.

불볕더위에 햇빛이 따갑게 느껴져요. – The sun feels harsh in this heat.

땡볕 (ttaeng-byeot)
Blazing sun with no shade.

땡볕에서 한 시간이나 기다렸어요. – I waited under the blazing sun for an hour.

지글지글하다 (ji-geul-ji-geul-ha-da)
A sizzling heat, like food on a hot pan.

지글지글 끓는 듯한 오후였어요. – It felt like everything was sizzling in the afternoon heat.

끓는 듯하다 (kkeul-neun-deut-ha-da)
“It feels like boiling.”

아스팔트가 끓는 듯해요. – The asphalt feels like it’s boiling.

타는 듯하다 (ta-neun-deut-ha-da)
“It feels like burning.”

피부가 타는 듯한 햇살이에요. – The sunlight feels like it's burning my skin.

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🌙 Even the Nights Don’t Cool Down

열대야 (yeol-dae-ya)
Tropical night — when the temperature doesn’t drop even after sunset.

열대야 때문에 잠을 설쳤어요. – I couldn’t sleep because of the tropical night heat.

후덥지근하다 (hu-deop-ji-geun-ha-da)
Stuffy and humid — makes you feel instantly sweaty.

지하철이 너무 후덥지근해요. – The subway feels really stuffy.

후텁지근하다 (hu-teop-ji-geun-ha-da)
Similar to above, more about lingering humidity.

비 온 다음 날은 더 후텁지근해요. – It feels even more muggy after the rain.

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😮💨 Struggling to Breathe? Yep, That’s Korea in August

숨이 막히다 (su-mi mak-hi-da)
“It’s hard to breathe.” Often used to describe intense heat or stuffy rooms.

이 방, 왜 이렇게 숨이 막히죠? – Why is it so stuffy in here?

숨이 턱턱 막히다 (su-mi teok-teok mak-hi-da)
Even stronger! The heat makes your chest feel heavy.

밖에 나가면 숨이 턱턱 막혀요. – The air outside feels suffocating.

푹푹 찐다 (puk-puk jjin-da)
The heat is pressing down — super hot and humid.

밖에 나가면 푹푹 찌는 느낌이에요. – It feels like being steamed outside.

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🧊 Reactions & Health

더위 먹다 (deo-wi meok-da)
Literally “to eat the heat” — it means to get heatstroke or feel sick from heat.

더위 먹었는지 어지러워요. – I think I have heatstroke. I feel dizzy.

뜨끈뜨끈하다 (tteu-kkeun-tteu-kkeun-ha-da)
Gently hot — often used for warm food or cozy heat, but in summer it can describe warm air.

뜨끈뜨끈한 바람이 불어와요. – A warm wind is blowing.

불지옥 (bul-ji-ok)
"Fire hell" — a dramatic way to describe unbearable heat!

지하철역이 불지옥이에요! – The subway station feels like hellfire!

녹아내리다 (nok-a-nae-ri-da)
“To melt” — used figuratively.

더워서 녹아내릴 것 같아요. – I feel like I’m melting!

더위가 기승을 부리다 (deo-wi-ga gi-seung-eul bu-ri-da)
“The heat is at its peak” — an idiom to describe a heatwave in full force.

이번 주는 더위가 기승을 부릴 거래요. – The heat will be brutal this week.

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🌞 Bonus Tip: Embrace the Complaints!

In Korea, it’s totally normal (even expected!) to complain a little about the heat.
Try one of these expressions next time you’re sweating through your shirt — and you’ll sound just like a local.

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Ready to Talk Like a Local?

Korean has dozens of colorful ways to describe summer heat — each with its own flavor.

Which word feels like your summer?
Let us know in the comments — and don’t forget your sunscreen! ☀️