chile
/ˈt͡ʃile/
The English phrase "chile pepper" is translated into Spanish as chile.
chile refers to the pepper itself. Note that while the English word "chili" often refers to a spicy stew, in Spanish, chile refers specifically to the ingredient.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico and parts of the Southwestern United States, chile is the standard term. In many South American countries, such as Peru, Argentina and Chile, ají is more commonly used for chili peppers than chile. In Spain, particularly in its northern regions, the term guindilla refers to small, mildly spicy chile peppers.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of chile is chiles.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈtʃile/
Did you know?
- Mexican speakers often use chile as a euphemism for male anatomy in informal or vulgar contexts.
- The word chile comes directly from the Classical Nahuatl word chīlli, the language of the Aztecs.
- In some regions, the phrase echarle chile can mean to exaggerate a story or add unnecessary drama to a situation.
Examples in context
- Ensalada de pimientos rojos y verdes.Salad with red and green chile peppers.
- El ají picante le da mucho sabor al guacamole.The spicy chile pepper adds a lot of flavor to guacamole.
- Los tacos de birria llevan salsa de chile.Birria tacos are served with chile sauce.
- La salsa de rocoto es muy picante.The rocoto sauce is very spicy.
- Me encanta la tortilla española con guindilla.I love Spanish omelette with guindilla chile pepper.
- Necesito comprar un chile verde.I need to buy a green chile pepper.
- Este chile es muy picante.This chile pepper is very spicy.
- Me gusta poner chile a la comida.I like to put chile pepper on food.
Example conversation
María and Daniel are cooking dinner in the kitchen.
- María¿Tienes un chile para la salsa?Do you have a chile pepper for the sauce?
- DanielSí, tengo un chile rojo aquí.Yes, I have a red chile pepper here.
- MaríaPerfecto, Daniel, será muy sabrosa.Perfect, Daniel, it will be very tasty.
- DanielEspero que no sea demasiado picante.I hope it is not too spicy.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry chile, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries chile, CC BY-SA 4.0.
