तीखा
tīkhā/t̪iː.kʰɑː/
The Hindi word for spicy is तीखा (tīkhā).
तीखा is primarily used to describe food that provides a burning sensation due to chilies or other spices. Beyond heat, it can also describe something that is hot or sharp. This includes describing a sharp or pungent smell, such as the scent of strong spices or onions.
Meaning: providing a burning sensation due to chilies and other spices (adj)
Which one should you use?
It is important to distinguish तीखा from मसालेदार. While तीखा refers specifically to the burning heat of chilies, मसालेदार refers to food that is rich in spices and flavorful without necessarily being hot.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of the adjective changes depending on the gender and number of the noun it describes. While the default form is तीखा, use तीखी when describing a feminine noun, such as mirch (chili) and use तीखे when describing masculine plural nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
tīkhā
Did you know?
- If you call a person तीखा, you might be describing their personality as sharp, biting, or even harsh rather than their food.
- The word तीखा is a linguistic relative of the Sanskrit word तिक्त, which refers to a 'bitter' or 'sharp' taste.
- Because तीखा can mean 'sharp', it can be used to describe a physical sensation like a sharp pain or a sharp edge.
Examples in context
- यह पनीर बहुत तीखा है, मेरी नाक इसीलिए बंद हो गई है।This cheese is very spicy, and I am unable to breathe because of it.This sentence uses तीखा to describe a cheese that is very spicy.
- मुझे स्ट्रीट फूड के चटपटे स्वाद का शौक है।I love the chatpat flavor of street food.
- क्या यह खाना बहुत तीखा है?Kya yeh khana bahut teekha hai?Is this food very spicy?
- मुझे बहुत तीखा खाना पसंद नहीं है।Mujhe bahut teekha khana pasand nahi hai.I do not like very spicy food.
Example conversation
Amit and Pooja are eating dinner together.
- अमित Amitयह सब्जी काफी तीखा है!Yeh sabzi kaafi teekha hai!This vegetable dish is quite spicy!
- पूजा Poojaहाँ, इसमें मिर्च ज़्यादा है।Haan, ismein mirch zyada hai.Yes, it has too many chilies.
- अमित Amitक्या आप थोड़ा पानी दे सकती हैं?Kya aap thoda paani de sakti hain?Can you give me some water?
- पूजा Poojaजी, यह लीजिए पानी।Ji, yeh lijiye paani.Yes, here is the water.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry तीखा, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries तीखा, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
