piquant
/pi.kɑ̃/
The English word zesty can be translated into French using piquant, épicé or de zest.
Meaning: having a piquant or pungent taste, spicy (adj)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| piquant | /pi.kɑ̃/ |
| épicé | /e.pi.se/ |
| de zest |
These terms describe food with a piquant, pungent or spicy taste. In a culinary context, you may also use relevé to describe food that is well-seasoned or has a 'zesty' kick without necessarily being hot.
Which one should you use?
Use piquant to describe a flavor that is sharp, biting or slightly stinging to the palate, rather than just being hot from chili. In contrast, use épicé when referring to food that is heavy in spices.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective piquant becomes piquante when describing a feminine noun. Similarly, the adjective épicé becomes épicée when describing a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
piquant is pronounced /pi.kɑ̃/ and has two syllables.
Did you know?
- The word zeste may have been influenced by a Middle French onomatopoeia meant to imitate the sound of a hit or a blow.
- While épicé refers to spices, the French word for 'spice' as a noun is épice, which shares a root with the English word 'apothecary'.
- While English uses 'zesty' for personality, using piquant in French to describe a person can imply they are 'stinging' or 'sharp' in a way that might be seen as rude.
Examples in context
- Le goût de ce plat est piquant.The taste of this dish is piquant.
Example conversation
Gabriel and Manon are tasting a new appetizer at a restaurant.
- GabrielTu trouves ça comment, Manon ?How do you find this, Manon?
- ManonC'est très piquant, j'adore ça !It is very piquant, I love it!
- GabrielC'est vrai que c'est un goût intense.It's true that it is an intense taste.
- ManonOui, Gabriel, c'est vraiment délicieux.Yes, Gabriel, it is really delicious.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “zesty” translations and entries piquant, épicé, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, zest, épicé, CC BY-SA 4.0.
