Translation guide
How to express 'overheating' in Japanese, covering physical heat, machinery, and metaphorical overwork.
Describing when a machine, engine, or device becomes too hot.
Common loanword for engines or machinery overheating. Used as a noun or suru-verb.
エンジンがオーバーヒートした。
The engine overheated.
Formal/technical term for overheating. Used in written contexts or technical descriptions.
機械が過熱して停止した。
The machine overheated and stopped.
Literal 'become too hot'. More colloquial, but less precise for machinery.
パソコンが熱くなりすぎて動かない。
My computer got too hot and won't work.
When a person's body temperature rises dangerously.
Medical term for heatstroke or heat exhaustion. Commonly used in warnings.
熱中症に気をつけてください。
Please be careful of heatstroke.
Descriptive phrase: 'body temperature rises too much'. Used in everyday speech.
体温が上がりすぎて、めまいがした。
My body temperature got too high and I felt dizzy.
When a situation, market, or person becomes excessively intense or overworked.
Used metaphorically for markets, debates, or emotions becoming overheated.
不動産市場が過熱している。
The real estate market is overheating.
Also used metaphorically, especially for people overworking or burning out.
仕事でオーバーヒートしそうだ。
I'm about to overheat from work.
For emotions or arguments becoming too heated.
議論が熱くなりすぎた。
The discussion got too heated.
オーバーヒート is a common loanword for engines and burnout. 過熱 is more formal and used in technical or economic contexts. Both can be used metaphorically.
景気が過熱している。
The economy is overheating.
While 熱い (あつい) means 'hot', saying エンジンが熱い is not the natural way to say 'the engine is overheating'. Use オーバーヒート or 過熱.