덥다 and 뜨겁다 both mean hot, but 덥다 is generally used with weather or ambient temperature, whereas 뜨겁다 is usually used with food items or objects that are ‘hot to touch’.
Examples with usage of 덥다 and 뜨겁다:
오늘 날씨가 더워요 – The weather is hot today.
음식이 뜨거워요 – The food is hot.
방이 너무 더워요 – The room is very hot.
컴퓨터가 너무 뜨거워졌어요. The computer has become too hot.
But sometimes, to emphasize the degree of hotness/heat, 뜨겁다 can be used like 덥다 as well.
날씨가 정말 뜨겁네요. The weather is scorching hot.
A similarly used word is 따뜻하다 which means ‘warm’ or ‘mildly hot’.
따뜻한 물을 마십시오. Please drink warm water.
Also Check : Difference Between 춥다 and 차갑다
