How to say “spicy” in Chinese
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Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.
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Tone tip
A short, sharp fourth tone. Menu levels: 微辣 (wēi là) mild, 中辣 (zhōng là) medium, 特辣 (tè là) extra hot. 辣 is chilli-hot only; for temperature use 热 (rè) or, for scalding food, 烫 (tàng).
In a sentence
Zhège cài là bu là?
Is this dish spicy?
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Start freeFrequently asked questions
How do you say "spicy" in Chinese?+
"spicy" in Mandarin Chinese is 辣, pronounced là. A short, sharp fourth tone. Menu levels: 微辣 (wēi là) mild, 中辣 (zhōng là) medium, 特辣 (tè là) extra hot. 辣 is chilli-hot only; for temperature use 热 (rè) or, for scalding food, 烫 (tàng).
What does 辣 mean literally?+
辣 breaks down as 辣 (là) = spicy / hot. Together it means "spicy".
How do I get the tones right in là?+
A short, sharp fourth tone. Menu levels: 微辣 (wēi là) mild, 中辣 (zhōng là) medium, 特辣 (tè là) extra hot. 辣 is chilli-hot only; for temperature use 热 (rè) or, for scalding food, 烫 (tàng).
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