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picante

spicy

adjective pee-KAN-teh Rare

Origin: From picar (to sting, to bite), Latin picare.

Also means

risqué

Usage Note

Picante describes food that is hot/spicy from chili or pepper. It also has a figurative sense of a joke, comment, or story that is risqué or edgy. Unlike caliente (hot in temperature), picante refers specifically to the burning sensation of spice. It is invariable for gender (la salsa picante, el chile picante).

Examples

"Esta salsa está muy picante para mí."

Natural Translation

This sauce is very spicy for me.

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