peperoncino
/pe.pe.ronˈt͡ʃi.no/
The English word "chilli" is translated into Italian as peperoncino.
peperoncino refers to a small spicy pepper used to add heat to food.
Which one should you use?
It is important not to confuse peperoncino with peperone, which refers to a large, sweet bell pepper rather than a spicy chilli.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Calabria, the word diavulillo is used to refer to chilli.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of peperoncino is peperoncini.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 5 syllables, with the stress on the 4th syllable: /pe.pe.ronˈtʃi.no/.
Did you know?
- Beyond cooking, some Italians keep a small cornicello, a red horn-shaped amulet that resembles a peperoncino, to ward off the 'evil eye' and bring good luck.
- While the English word 'chilli' comes from Nahuatl, the Italian word peperoncino shares a root with the English 'pepper', which originally referred to black peppercorns before being applied to capsicums.
- In Southern Italy, particularly in Calabria, bundles of peperoncino are often hung in strings outside houses to dry in the sun, serving as a visual symbol of local pride and culinary tradition.
Examples in context
- La salsa al peperoncino forniva piccantezza.The chilli sauce provided spiciness.This sentence is useful for seeing how to describe the spiciness provided by a sauce containing peperoncino.Tatoeba #11008957 by Guybrush88, translation #10996539 by CM
- Il peperoncino è molto usato nella cucina indiana.Chilli is much used in Indian cooking.This sentence shows how peperoncino is used in the context of Indian cooking.Tatoeba #1885759 by Guybrush88, translation #1885758 by sundown
- Mi scusi, può passarmi il peperoncino?Excuse me, could you pass me the chilli?
- Gli chef italiani aggiungono spesso peperoncino per dare un tocco di piccante ai loro piatti.Italian chefs often add chilli to give a touch of spiciness to their dishes.
- Aggiungi un po' di peperoncino alla pasta.Add a little bit of chilli to the pasta.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofia and Matteo are cooking dinner together in the kitchen.
- SofiaQuesto sugo è un po' insapore, Matteo.This sauce is a bit bland, Matteo.
- MatteoVuoi che metta del peperoncino?Do you want me to put some chilli in it?
- SofiaSì, per favore, mi piace il piccante.Yes, please, I like spicy food.
- MatteoVa bene, ne metto solo un pochino.Okay, I'll only put a tiny bit.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry peperoncino, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
