picante
/piˈkante/
In Spanish, 'spicy hot' is translated as picante.
The term is used to describe food that has a pungent, burning taste caused by ingredients such as chili peppers. It is important to note that while English speakers might use 'spicy' to mean a dish is flavorful with many spices, in Spanish, picante specifically refers to the heat or pungency of the chilies.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, the word picoso is commonly used to mean spicy hot.
How does it change in a sentence?
Picante is an adjective that remains the same regardless of whether the noun it describes is masculine or feminine. To make the adjective plural, add an -s to form picantes.
How do you pronounce it?
/piˈkante/
Did you know?
- The word picante can also be used to describe a suggestive or erotic comment or situation.
- In Spanish, the word picar can also mean 'to peck' when referring to a bird or 'to snack' when referring to eating small amounts of food.
- In certain Spanish-speaking regions, if a person says me pica, they might not be talking about food, but rather complaining that their skin is itching.
Examples in context
- Este plato tiene un sabor muy picante.This dish has a very spicy flavor.
- El chile es muy picante.The chili is very spicy.
- Esta salsa es sumamente picante.This sauce is extremely spicy.
- Las alitas están bien picantes.The chicken wings are really spicy.
- Esa salsa está súper picante, ten cuidado.That sauce is super spicy, be careful.
- En México, la comida es muy rica y picosa.In Mexico, the food is very tasty and spicy hot.
- Esta salsa es tan picante que me pican los labios.This sauce is so spicy that it makes my lips tingle.
- Me encanta la comida mexicana porque siempre es bien picante.I love Mexican food because it is always really spicy.
- El guacamole de mi abuelita está sumamente picante, pero delicioso.My grandma's guacamole is extremely spicy but delicious.
- Esta salsa es muy picante.This sauce is very spicy.
- No me gusta la comida picante.I do not like spicy food.
- ¿Prefieres un plato picante?Do you prefer a spicy dish?
Example conversation
Daniel and Sofía are ordering food at a restaurant.
- DanielSofía, ¿quieres probar este taco?Sofía, do you want to try this taco?
- SofíaSí, pero ¿está muy picante?Yes, but is it very spicy?
- DanielUn poco, pero sabe muy bien.A little, but it tastes very good.
- SofíaEstá bien, voy a probarlo.Okay, I am going to try it.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry picante, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
