Chinese word

少辣

Pronunciation

Pinyinshǎo là

Meaning

  • adjectiveless spicy

Example

我要少辣，不要太辣。wǒ yào shǎo là bú yào tài là

I want it less spicy, not too spicy.

Illustration for 少辣 (less spicy)

More examples

菜单上有少辣的选择。cài dān shàng yǒu shǎo là de xuǎn zé

There are less-spicy options on the menu.

Core concept

A food's chili heat is turned down to a lower level.

Common phrases

  • 少辣的菜shǎo là de cài

    dishes with less spice

  • 少辣一点shǎo là yì diǎn

    a little less spicy

Similar words

微辣wēi là: Means mildly spicy, with just a little heat.
不辣bú là: Means completely free of spicy heat.
不太辣bú tài là: Means fairly mild in spiciness, though not necessarily heat-free.
清淡qīng dàn: Means lightly seasoned, with little oil and few strong spices.

Definition in Chinese

表示对辣味有要求的形容词性短语，意思是希望食物不太辣或只放很少的辣椒。biǎo shì duì là wèi yǒu yāo qiú de xíng róng cí xìng duán yǔ yì si shì xī wàng shí wù bú tài là huò zhǐ fàng hén shǎo de là jiāo

Word origin

少 (shǎo, "few") + 辣 (là, "spicy") puts the idea of a small amount before the flavor, creating a compact food-order expression for reduced heat.

Usage tips

  • In a restaurant order, 少辣 (shǎolà, "less spicy") works as a brief customization request, while English "less spicy" can sound comparative unless the dish is already understood.

Other meanings

  • not very spicyadjective

Opposites

Word lists with this word