Portuguese · Food & Drink

"Spicy" in Portuguese: apimentado/a / picante

apimentado/a / picante

ah-pee-mehn-TAH-dooadjective/a.pi.mẽ.ˈta.du/

Spicy in Portuguese is apimentado/apimentada or picante. Ask está apimentado? before diving in. Brazilians also say arde for that burning feel.

Restaurant warning

O ensopado está bem apimentado hoje.

The stew is really spicy today.

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How to pronounce apimentado/a / picante

Say it

ah-pee-mehn-TAH-doo

/a.pi.mẽ.ˈta.du/

ah-pee-mehn-TAH-doo

"Spicy" in Portuguese: quick reference

Portuguese	English	When to use
apimentado / apimentada	spicy / chili-spiced Common Brazil.	Common Brazil.
picante	spicy / hot Also common.	Also common.
bem apimentado	really spicy Intensity.	Intensity.
molho apimentado	spicy sauce Condiments.	Condiments.

How to use apimentado/a / picante in real life

1Restaurant warning
O ensopado está bem apimentado hoje.
The stew is really spicy today.
Heat level.
2Sauce choice
Prefiro o molho picante do lado.
I prefer the spicy sauce on the side.
Alternate headword.
3Home cooking
Deixa a comida menos apimentada pra criança.
Make the food less spicy for the kid.
Adjustment.

Mistakes English speakers make with apimentado/a / picante

Incorrect: A comida está spicy.

Correct: A comida está apimentada.

Use apimentado/picante, not English spicy.

Incorrect: O molho está apimentado (when you meant salty).

Correct: O molho está salgado.

Apimentado is chili heat, not saltiness.

Good to know

Brazilian heat varies wildly by region—Bahia and the North lean bolder. Pimenta and molho de pimenta sit on tables for DIY spice. Picante also appears on candy packaging for cinnamon-hot sweets.