ไม่เผ็ดมาก
mai phet mak
In Thai, "not too spicy" is expressed as ไม่เผ็ดมาก (mai phet mak).
This phrase is used to request a mild level of heat when ordering food. If your goal is to ensure there is no chili in your food at all, it is safer to say ไม่เผ็ด, as ไม่เผ็ดมาก still implies that some level of spice will be present.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase ไม่เผ็ดมาก is composed of ไม่ (not), เผ็ด (spicy) and มาก (very/much), which literally translates to "not spicy much".
Which one should you use?
While ไม่เผ็ดมาก means "not very spicy", you can use ไม่เผ็ดเกินไป to specifically express the sense of "not exceeding a certain limit" (not too spicy). Another common alternative when ordering food to request a low or mild spice level is เผ็ดน้อย.
How do you pronounce it?
mai phet mak
Did you know?
- The word เผ็ด for spicy is specific to heat, unlike some other languages that use a single word for 'spicy' covering both peppers and black pepper. For the pungent heat of pepper, Thai uses a different word, ฉุน.
- Adding the polite particle ครับ (khrap) or ค่ะ (kha) to the end of ไม่เผ็ดมาก is essential, as requesting a change to a recipe can be perceived as demanding if the tone is too blunt.
- In Thailand, even if you say ไม่เผ็ดมาก, the chef might still include bird's eye chilies in the base sauce. To truly avoid heat, it is better to say ไม่ใส่พริก which means 'do not put chilies in'.
Examples in context
- ขอแบบไม่เผ็ดมากนะคะkho baep mai phet mak na khaI would like it not too spicy, please.
- ฉันกินแบบไม่เผ็ดมากได้ค่ะchan kin baep mai phet mak dai khaI can eat it not too spicy.
- ทำแบบไม่เผ็ดมากให้หน่อยครับtham baep mai phet mak hai noi khrapPlease make it not too spicy.
Example conversation
At a street food stall in Bangkok.
- พิมล Pimonขอผัดไทยแบบไม่เผ็ดมากนะคะkho phat thai baep mai phet mak na khaI would like Pad Thai, not too spicy please.
- ชลสิทธิ์ Cholasitได้ครับ ไม่เผ็ดมากนะครับdai khrap, mai phet mak na khrapCertainly, not too spicy, right?
- พิมล Pimonใช่ค่ะ ขอบคุณค่ะchai kha, khop khun khaYes, thank you.
- ชลสิทธิ์ Cholasitรอสักครู่นะครับro sak khru na khrapPlease wait a moment.
