pimenta
/piˈmẽ.tɐ/feminine
The English word 'pepper' is translated into Portuguese as pimenta.
The term refers to the spice used to add heat or flavor to food. You may also encounter the verb apimentar, which means to add pepper to something or the verb salpicar, which means to cover something with many small things.
Meaning: spice (noun)
Which one should you use?
In informal or affectionate contexts, you might hear the diminutive pimentinha.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
pimenta is a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables, with the stress on the 2nd syllable: /piˈmẽ.tɐ/.
Did you know?
- In some regional Brazilian folklore, pimenta is believed to ward off the 'evil eye' or bad luck, leading some people to keep a pepper plant near their front door.
- The word pimenta shares an ancient root with the English word 'pigment'. Both words trace back to a concept meaning 'to color' or 'to spot', because the Latin term originally referred to something that stains or colors.
- In Brazil, if a person is described as having a 'temperamento apimentado', it does not mean they are spicy, but rather that they have a sharp, fiery, or easily provoked personality.
Examples in context
- Você gosta de pimenta?Do you like pepper?This sentence is useful for asking if someone likes pimenta.Tatoeba #8786470 by carlosalberto, translation #8786460 by carlosalberto
- Você põe muita pimenta.You put in too much pepper.This sentence is useful for stating that someone is adding too much pimenta.Tatoeba #988757 by alexmarcelo, translation #986432 by CK
- Não exagera na pimenta.Go easy on the pepper.This sentence is useful for advising someone not to overdo the pimenta.Tatoeba #8508228 by bill, translation #3821545 by CK
- O chef acrescentou uma pitada de pimenta à sopa.The chef added a pinch of pepper to the soup.
- A pimenteira está florescendo no jardim.The pepper plant is blooming in the garden.
- Eu gosto de uma pimentinha na minha comida.I like a little pepper in my food.
- O pimentão vermelho deixa a comida mais saborosa.The red pepper makes the food more flavorful.
- 41 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Rodrigo and Camila are eating lunch at a restaurant.
- RodrigoEsta comida precisa de um pouco de pimenta.This food needs a bit of pepper.
- CamilaOnde está o pote de pimenta?Where is the pepper shaker?
- RodrigoEstá bem ali na mesa, Camila.It's right there on the table, Camila.
- CamilaObrigada, Rodrigo. Vou colocar só um pouco.Thanks, Rodrigo. I'll just put a little.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pepper” translations and entries pimenta, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries pimenta, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
