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Am I missing something? Is there no other commonly used word for elevated temperatures when speaking about the weather other than "caldo"? All I see is this word used with some sort of modifier... What about warm? What about sizzling? Am I missing something? The only other word I have encountered is afoso. The same kind of thing seems to happening on the other side of the temperature scale with "freddo". Just cold? Not chilly, or freezing or mild, etc. to imply a degree of hot or coldness?

Perhaps, it is just my (very) limited exposure to the language, so far?

I am not looking for a list of synonyms, I am looking for information about commonly used words actually used in expressions, as you would encounter if you were inside and asking someone who just came in if you needed a sweater or a heavy coat, or if it was so hot that you needed to dress in shorts and a sleeveless top. In English, we would say, "It is warm but not really hot." Or, "It is very mild outside, you do not need a sweater."

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    Unfortunately, yes, it is just your limited exposure to the language. May I suggest that rather than suggesting that “there doesn't seem to be” any such and such word in a language you don't master, you just ask for a word with the meaning you are interested in?
    – DaG
    Commented Feb 8, 2016 at 17:51
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    As DaG said its just limited vocabulary. For example we can express the English "sizzling" as solleone, calura, canicola ecc... and more if we dont limit it to the weather
    – Erik vanDoren
    Commented Feb 8, 2016 at 17:58
  • @DaG Well, I understand your point, but 1) I am terrified of running afoul of the rules, here, and do not want to be perceived as using the site as a dictionary. and 2) although I have looked it up, I am also interested in not sounding very strange when I speak. So, on both counts, I thought I would ask here. May I quote from the answer below? This answered my question nicely. "There are words for warm / mild, but they aren't commonly used in the normal speech." If you are starting from scratch, as I am, I think it is important to know these things as well as the grammar and vocabulary...
    – Msfolly
    Commented Feb 8, 2016 at 19:22
  • Of course it is important, and of course you are welcome to ask any clarification about Italian. I just don't understand why you assumed that there doesn't seem to be any word etc.
    – DaG
    Commented Feb 8, 2016 at 21:42
  • Oh dear. Well,like most of my explanations, this one involves a journey. I followed a link included in a question posted here that was temporarily put on hold-to wit; the one asking about good sources for phonetic spellings of Italian. The link was to Lang-8, a place where you can get writing proofread. After correcting several many essays from the far east involving their new year, I posted a short essay, that encapsulated my question. No one there has yet ventured any more suggestions, for "warm". Admittedly, it is a very small sample, but, that where I got this impression.
    – Msfolly
    Commented Feb 8, 2016 at 21:52

2 Answers 2

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There are words for warm / mild, but they aren't commonly used in the normal speech.

One can say "temperato" (more referred to a regional climate than a specific day), "piacevole" (literally "pleasant", which indicates a just-right warmth), "tiepido" (literally "mild", also used in its variation "tiepidino").

Curiously enough, there is a widely used term for "chilly", which is "fresco" (often used in the spoken language in its variation "freschino" -> "fa freschino oggi!")

You can translate the usages in a non literal way: something like "It is warm but not really hot" would possibly become "Fa caldo, ma non da morire/ci/ne".

"It is very mild outside, you do not need a sweater" could become either "Non ti serve il maglione, non fa [così] freddo" or "Non ti serve il maglione, si sta bene [anche senza]".

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  • - It took me awhile, but "Fa caldo, ma non da morirete" would mean - It's hot, but not enough to kill you? ;-) I like it.
    – Msfolly
    Commented Feb 8, 2016 at 19:27
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    @Msfolly Yes, although it is morire, not morirete (which is the wrong tense). I'd personally use si sta bene (roughly, we're fine).
    – Denis Nardin ♦
    Commented Feb 8, 2016 at 22:40
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    @Msfolly my compact form "morire/ci/ne" means that you can find usages of "morire", "morirci" and "morirne"
    – Diego Martinoia
    Commented Feb 9, 2016 at 8:52
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We say "mite", which is like "mild" in English. Like you said, it's not very common but "oggi il tempo è mite" will do. A more common but less literal translation is "Si sta bene", it feels good. Ciao.

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