辛くない
karakunai
The Japanese phrase for "not spicy" is 辛くない (karakunai).
辛くない is used to describe food that does not have a hot or pungent taste. It is important to note that while 辛くない means the food is not spicy, it does not necessarily mean the food is mild. It simply negates the presence of spiciness.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is formed by adding the suffix くない, which is the standard way to negate an i-adjective in Japanese, to the root of the word. In this case, くない means "is not".
How does it change in a sentence?
辛くない is the negative form of the i-adjective 辛い (karai), which means "spicy".
How do you pronounce it?
karakunai
Did you know?
- In Japanese, the word 辛い (karai) can be used to describe a situation that is 'painful' or 'hard to endure' rather than just a taste.
- While 辛くない negates spiciness, you might see 甘口 (amakuchi) on a menu to describe 'not spicy' food. This literally means 'sweet mouth' and is a common way to categorize the mildest level of heat.
- Japanese speakers often use the loanword マイルド (mairudo) from the English 'mild' when requesting food that is 辛くない. This is particularly common when ordering curries and sauces.
Examples in context
- いいえ、辛くないです。No, it's not spicy.This sentence is useful for answering a question about whether something is spicy using the form 辛くない.Tatoeba #10901760 by small_snow, translation #10901761 by CK
- 辛くないものが食べたい。I want to eat something that's not spicy.This sentence is useful for expressing a desire to eat food that is not spicy using the form 辛くない.Tatoeba #3635311 by tommy_san, translation #3652326 by CK
- Karai no wa tabemasen. O-negai shimasu. (辛いのは食べません。お願いします。)I don't eat spicy food. Please.
- Iya, karai no wa tabenai yo. (いや、辛いのは食べないよ。)No, I don't eat spicy food.
- このカレーは全然辛くない。Kono karee wa zenzen karakunai.This curry is not spicy at all.
Example conversation
Yui and Hiroto are eating at a restaurant.
- 結衣 Yui大翔くん、その料理は辛くない？Hiroto-kun, sono ryouri wa karakunai?Hiroto, is that dish not spicy?
- 大翔 Hirotoうん、全然辛くないよ。Un, zenzen karakunai yo.Yeah, it's not spicy at all.
- 結衣 Yuiよかった。私は辛いものが苦手なんだ。Yokatta. Watashi wa karai mono ga nigate nan da.That's good. I'm not good with spicy food.
- 大翔 Hirotoじゃあ、これなら大丈夫だよ。Jaa, kore nara daijoubu dayo.Then this should be fine for you.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
