How to say “not spicy” in Chinese
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Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.
Word by word
Tone tip
不 flips to a rising bú before the fourth-tone 辣, so it is bú là, not bù là. When ordering, 不要辣 (bú yào là), 'no chilli', is the clearest request; 不辣 describes a dish that isn't spicy.
In a sentence
Wǒ yào yí fèn bú là de.
I'd like a non-spicy one.
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Start freeFrequently asked questions
How do you say "not spicy" in Chinese?+
"not spicy" in Mandarin Chinese is 不辣, pronounced bú là. 不 flips to a rising bú before the fourth-tone 辣, so it is bú là, not bù là. When ordering, 不要辣 (bú yào là), 'no chilli', is the clearest request; 不辣 describes a dish that isn't spicy.
What does 不辣 mean literally?+
不辣 breaks down as 不 (bú) = not, 辣 (là) = spicy. Together it means "not spicy".
How do I get the tones right in bú là?+
不 flips to a rising bú before the fourth-tone 辣, so it is bú là, not bù là. When ordering, 不要辣 (bú yào là), 'no chilli', is the clearest request; 不辣 describes a dish that isn't spicy.
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