Which one should you use?
While picante refers to the burning sensation of heat, apimentado is often used to describe food that has been heavily seasoned with peppers or spices.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective picante is invariable in gender, so it stays the same whether describing a masculine or feminine noun. To make it plural, add an 's' to the end to get picantes.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables, with the stress on the 2nd syllable. The IPA is /piˈkɐ̃.tʃi/.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use temperado to mean 'spicy'. However, temperado actually means 'seasoned' or 'flavored' and does not necessarily imply heat.
When do people say it?
If you want to express informally that the spiciness is intense and burning, you can use the idiom Está pegando fogo!, which translates to 'It's like fire!'
Did you know?
- Beyond food, picante is frequently used to describe something 'spicy' in a romantic or suggestive sense, similar to how English uses the word 'piquant' for a provocative personality.
- While picante describes the heat, the root verb picar can also mean 'to sting' or 'to peck', like a bird, reflecting the sharp sensation of chili on the tongue.
- The phrase Está pegando fogo! is not only used for spicy food but can also describe a heated argument or a very popular song.
Examples in context
- Esta farofa está picante.This farofa is spicy.This sentence uses picante to describe the spiciness of farofa.Tatoeba #1773493 by alexmarcelo, translation #10221251 by lucasmg123
- Esta sopa está muito picante.This soup is too spicy.This sentence uses picante to describe how spicy a soup is.Tatoeba #6448792 by bill, translation #1531896 by Spamster
- Isto é muito picante para mim.This is too spicy for me.This sentence uses picante to say that something is too spicy for the speaker.Tatoeba #11068551 by alexmarcelo, translation #5586324 by CK
- A comida está muito picanteThe food is very spicy.
- Essa pimenta é ardidaThis pepper is spicy.
- Este molho é muito apimentadoThis sauce is very spicy.
- Essa comida arde!This food is spicy!
- Essa pimenta é bem forteThis pepper is quite spicy.
- Gosto de comida picante.I like spicy food.
- Vou pedir o molho apimentado.I'm going to ask for the spicy sauce.
- Essa pimenta é um pouco picanteThis pepper is a little spicy.
- 11 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Camila and Rodrigo are eating at a Mexican restaurant.
- CamilaEste molho está muito picante?Is this sauce very spicy?
- RodrigoSim, é bastante picante.Yes, it is quite spicy.
- CamilaEu não gosto de comida picante.I do not like spicy food.
- RodrigoEu posso pedir algo mais suave para você.I can order something milder for you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “spicy” translations and entries picante, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
