German Phrase
Heute ist es brütend heiß.
Meaning
The sentence means ‘It’s scorching hot today.’ The word ‘brütend’ adds a vivid, almost oppressive feeling, stronger than just ‘sehr heiß’ (very hot).
When to use
Use this phrase when you want to describe an unusually high temperature, for example during a heat wave or when you’re complaining about the weather to a friend.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Heuteistesbrütendheiß
Temporal adverb (Heute)
‘Heute’ means ‘today’ and is placed at the beginning of the sentence to set the time context.
Verb ‘sein’ (ist)
The verb ‘sein’ is used as a copula to link the subject ‘es’ with the adjective phrase.
Dummy subject ‘es’
German often uses the impersonal ‘es’ when talking about weather conditions.
Intensifier ‘brütend’
‘brütend’ (literally ‘brooding’) is an intensifier that emphasizes extreme heat, similar to ‘scorching’.
Adjective ‘heiß’
‘heiß’ means ‘hot’; when used after ‘sein’, it stays in its base form.
🗨In Conversation
Heute ist es brütend heiß.
It’s scorching hot today.
Ja, ich glaube, wir brauchen ein Eis!
Yeah, I think we need an ice cream!
✕Common Mistakes
Heute ist es brütend kalt.
Learners sometimes confuse ‘brütend’ with ‘brütend’ (to brood) and think it’s only used for birds; here it’s an idiomatic intensifier.
Heute brütend heiß.
Do not drop the dummy subject ‘es’; ‘Heute ist brütend heiß’ sounds incomplete.
Heute ist es brütend heißer.
Avoid using the comparative ‘heißer’ after ‘sein’; the correct form is the base adjective.
↔Alternatives
Heute ist es extrem heiß.
It’s extremely hot today.
Heute ist es unerträglich warm.
It’s unbearably warm today.
Heute brennt die Sonne.
The sun is burning today.
Cultural Tip
In German‑speaking countries, talking about the weather is a common ice‑breaker. When the heat is intense, people often mention ‘es ist brütend heiß’ and then suggest cooling activities like going to a ‘Biergarten’ or drinking a ‘Eis am Stiel’. Be aware that ‘brütend’ can sound dramatic, so it’s best used in informal conversation rather than formal reports.