hot

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 暑 has 12 strokes; 暑い is read あつい, and 蒸し暑い is read むしあつい.
• Basic usage: 暑い describes hot weather or indoor air; 蒸し暑い describes heat combined with humidity.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Heat and humid heat
  • 部屋が暑かった means that the room was hot. 暑かった is the past form of 暑い, which also applies to indoor heat.
  • 蒸し暑い夜 means a hot and humid night. 蒸し暑い conveys a humid feeling as well as heat, rather than merely a stronger degree of heat.