Convert Fahrenheit to Celsius (°F → °C)
Fahrenheit is the everyday temperature scale in the United States, used for weather, cooking, and body temperature.
Fahrenheit to Celsius Conversion Table
10 common values| Fahrenheit | Celsius |
|---|---|
| -40 °F | -40 °C |
| -20 °F | -28.888889 °C |
| 0 °F | -17.777778 °C |
| 10 °F | -12.222222 °C |
| 20 °F | -6.666667 °C |
| 25 °F | -3.888889 °C |
| 30 °F | -1.111111 °C |
| 37 °F | 2.777778 °C |
| 100 °F | 37.777778 °C |
| 200 °F | 93.333333 °C |
How to Convert Fahrenheit to Celsius Manually
Step by StepTemperature scales differ in both zero-point and degree size, so conversion uses a formula — not simple multiplication. Follow these steps to convert degrees Fahrenheit to degrees Celsius by hand.
- 1Take your value in degrees FahrenheitStart with the number of degrees Fahrenheit (°F) you want to convert.
- 2Apply the formulaUse the formula:
°C = (°F − 32) × 5/9 - 3Read the result in degrees CelsiusThe result is your value in degrees Celsius (°C).
Formula
Temperature conversion uses an offset formula, not simple multiplication.
°C = (°F − 32) × 5/9°F = (°C × 9/5) + 32Tips
Use these in everyday conversions- Formula: °F = (°C × 9/5) + 32.
- Rough conversion: subtract 30 then halve to get °C. 70 °F → 20 °C.
- US ovens in °F; European ovens in °C. Convert before starting a foreign recipe.
Common Mistakes
Avoid these- Using °F readings in European contexts without conversion.
- Forgetting the +32 offset — a 20 °F rise is not 20 °C rise.
- Assuming 50 °F is half of 100 °F in feel — in °C it is 10 °C vs. 38 °C.
About Fahrenheit and Celsius
What is the Fahrenheit?
Fahrenheit is the everyday temperature scale in the United States, used for weather, cooking, body temperature, and HVAC settings. Proposed by German physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit in 1724, it set 0°F as the lowest temperature he could reliably reproduce (a brine-ice mixture) and 96°F as human body temperature. Modern definitions place water's freezing point at exactly 32°F and boiling at 212°F — making the freezing-to-boiling range exactly 180 degrees. The Fahrenheit scale was the international standard for English-speaking countries until the UK and Commonwealth nations switched to Celsius in the 1960s and 70s. Today the United States is the only major industrialized country still using Fahrenheit for weather. A comfortable room is 68–72°F, fever begins at 100.4°F, and Death Valley summer highs reach 120°F. Fahrenheit relates to Celsius by °C = (°F − 32) × 5/9.
- US daily weather and climate reports
- US cooking oven temperatures
- US medical thermometers
US room temperature 68–72 °F. Body temperature 98.6 °F. Fever 100.4 °F. Pizza oven 450 °F.
What is the Celsius?
Celsius is the global temperature scale used for weather forecasts, science, medicine, and daily life in all countries except the United States. Originally proposed by Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius in 1742 (with 0° as boiling and 100° as freezing — the inverse of today's scale), the modern version was reversed shortly after his death. Since 2019, Celsius has been redefined via the Kelvin scale: 0°C is exactly 273.15 K, and 1°C equals 1 K in size. Water freezes at 0°C, boils at 100°C at sea level, and human body temperature is around 37°C. Comfortable room temperature is about 20–22°C, and a hot summer day is 30–35°C. Celsius relates to Fahrenheit by the formula °F = °C × 9/5 + 32, and to Kelvin by adding 273.15. The scale's decimal-friendly division of water's phase transitions made it the natural metric choice.
- Daily weather forecasts worldwide (except US)
- Cooking temperatures in Europe, Asia, Latin America
- Body temperature on medical thermometers
Room temperature is about 20 °C. Normal body temperature is 37 °C. Typical fridge setting is 4 °C. European winter can reach −20 °C; desert summer 45+ °C.