rábano picante
/ˌrabano piˈkante/masculine
Horseradish in Spanish is rábano picante. Wiktionary also lists rábano rusticano and raíz picante.
Meaning: condiment (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| rábano picante | /ˌrabano piˈkante/ | masculine |
| rábano rusticano | /rabano ɾustikano/ (from spelling rules) | masculine |
| raíz picante | /raiθ pikante/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /rais pikante/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
feminine |
You may also use raíz picante when you want to emphasize the nature of the plant as a spicy root.
What does it mean word for word?
The term rábano picante is a compound of rábano, meaning radish and picante, meaning spicy or hot.
Which one should you use?
rábano rusticano is a masculine form available in the language.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase rábano picante is masculine, so it uses the masculine article el when referring to the horseradish (e.g., el rábano picante). The alternative form raíz picante is feminine.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌrabano piˈkante/
Did you know?
- While 'picante' usually means 'spicy' in a culinary sense, it comes from the verb picar, which can also mean 'to sting' or 'to prick'. This perfectly describes the sharp sensation of horseradish in the sinuses.
- The term rábano rusticano uses a word derived from the Latin rūsticānus, meaning 'of the countryside'. It emphasizes the plant's wild or rustic origins compared to garden radishes.
- The word picante describes a sharp sensation that Spanish speakers also use to describe the 'sting' of an insect bite.
Examples in context
- El chef utilizó rábano picante para darle un toque picante al platillo.The chef used horseradish to add a spicy touch to the dish.
- ¿Has probado el wasabi? Es muy similar al rábano picante.Have you tried wasabi? It's very similar to horseradish.
- El rábano picante es muy fuerte.The horseradish is very strong.
- Necesito un poco de rábano picante.I need a little bit of horseradish.
- ¿Tienes rábano picante en la nevera?Do you have horseradish in the fridge?
Example conversation
María and Javier are preparing a sandwich in their kitchen.
- María¿Quieres ponerle rábano picante al sándwich?Do you want to put horseradish on the sandwich?
- JavierSí, por favor, me encanta ese sabor.Yes, please, I love that flavor.
- MaríaMuy bien, aquí tienes el frasco.Very well, here is the jar.
- JavierGracias, María, eres muy amable.Thanks, María, you are very kind.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “horseradish” translations and entries rábano picante, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries picante, raíz, rusticano, rábano, CC BY-SA 4.0.
