noun
heat, hot weather
B1
Hitze (die) means 'heat' or 'hot weather'. It typically refers to oppressive warmth and is often used as an uncountable noun, but a plural form 'Hitzen' exists for rare contexts. Declension: singular die Hitze, plural die Hitzen. No irregularities beyond the feminine gender.
Examples
Im Sommer leiden viele Menschen unter großer Hitze.
Many people suffer from intense heat in the summer.
Viele Veranstaltungen wurden abgesagt, weil wegen der Hitze die Temperaturen gefährlich hoch stiegen.
Many events were canceled because temperatures rose dangerously high due to the heat.
Die Hitze ist unerträglich.
The heat is unbearable.
Details
Mnemonics
Picture the sun 'hitting' the ground and everything getting hot
sounds like English 'hit' + 'za'—imagine a hit from the sun
die Hitze — remember 'die' (feminine): imagine the heat wearing a dress
Notes
Hitze is often used as an uncountable noun (no plural) when referring to heat in general; 'die Hitzen' can be used when speaking of distinct heat waves but is less common.