chile
/ˈt͡ʃile/
The Spanish word for hot pepper is chile.
chile refers to a spicy variety of pepper used in cooking to add heat to food. When describing the level of heat, you can use the word picante to mean spicy or the phrase pica bastante to mean it is quite hot.
Which one should you use?
While chile refers to the spicy pepper itself, it can also refer to a specific dish made with ground peppers.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, chile is a broad term used for various types of peppers, including both hot and mild varieties. In Peru, the term rocoto is often used specifically for spicy peppers. In Argentina, ají is commonly used to refer to hot peppers, especially smaller ones.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of chile is chiles.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈtʃile/
Did you know?
- There is a traditional Mexican custom of using chile as a medicinal remedy, such as applying certain types of peppers to the skin to relieve muscle pain.
- While picante means 'spicy', the verb picar literally means 'to sting' or 'to peck', reflecting the physical sensation of the pepper on the tongue.
- The word chile traces its roots back to the Aztec language, Nahuatl, where the word chīlli originated.
Examples in context
- En esta receta, necesitamos agregar un pimiento picante para darle un toque de picor.In this recipe, we need to add a hot pepper to give it a spicy kick.
- El ají picante le da un sabor único a la salsa.The hot pepper gives a unique flavor to the sauce.
- ¡Este chile es realmente picante!This hot pepper is really spicy!
- ¿Has probado las tapas con guindillas en el sur de España?Have you tried the tapas with hot peppers in southern Spain?
- Quiero estos chiles, por favorI want these hot peppers, please
- Este chile es muy picante.This hot pepper is very spicy.
- Necesito comprar un chile verde.I need to buy a green hot pepper.
- No te gusta el chile, ¿verdad?You don't like hot pepper, do you?
Example conversation
Daniel and María are cooking dinner together in the kitchen.
- Daniel¿Le pongo un chile a la sopa?Should I add a hot pepper to the soup?
- MaríaNo, por favor, no quiero que pique.No, please, I don't want it to be spicy.
- DanielEstá bien, María, no le pondré nada.Alright, María, I won't add anything.
- MaríaGracias, Daniel, eres muy amable.Thank you, Daniel, you are very kind.
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.
