Chinese word

辣椒

Pronunciation

Pinyinlà jiāo

Meaning

  • nounchili pepper

Example

这道菜里有很多辣椒。zhè dào cài lǐ yǒu hěn duō là jiāo

This dish contains a lot of chili peppers.

Illustration for 辣椒 (chili pepper)

More examples

他喜欢在面条上加一些辣椒酱。tā xǐ huān zài miàn tiáo shàng jiā yì xiē là jiāo jiàng

He likes to add some chili sauce to his noodles.

Core concept

A small edible hot fruit that brings sharp heat and color to food, fresh or dried and often used whole or ground.

Common phrases

  • 红辣椒hóng là jiāo

    red chili pepper

  • 新鲜的辣椒xīn xiān de là jiāo

    fresh chili peppers

  • 切辣椒qiē là jiāo

    cut chili peppers

  • 辣椒酱là jiāo jiàng

    chili sauce

Similar words

花椒huā jiāo: A spice made from seeds that gives Sichuan dishes a tingling, numbing feeling on the tongue and lips.
胡椒hú jiāo: A black or white seed used whole or ground to add aroma and mild heat to food.
青椒qīng jiāo: A green, sweet pepper with almost no heat, eaten mainly as a vegetable in stir-fries and salads.

Definition in Chinese

指可食用的辛辣果实，常作为配料或调味料使用，可鲜食、干制或研磨成粉末以增加菜肴的辛味与色泽。zhǐ kě shí yòng de xīn là guǒ shí cháng zuò wéi pèi liào huò tiáo wèi liào shǐ yòng kě xiān shí gàn zhì huò yán mó chéng fěn mò yǐ zēng jiā cài yáo de xīn wèi yǔ sè zé

Word origin

The name combines 辣 (là, "spicy") + 椒 (jiāo, "pepper"), describing a pepper known for its hot taste.

Usage tips

  • The two syllables have different tones: là falls sharply, while jiāo stays high and level, so keeping the contrast clear supports accurate everyday speech.

Other meanings

  • bird's-eye chilinoun
  • red chili peppernoun

Opposites

  • 甜椒tián jiāobell peppernoun

Related words

  • 辣椒酱là jiāo jiàngchili saucenoun
  • 辣椒粉là jiāo fěnchili powdernoun

Word lists with this word