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辣 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
辣làold variant of 辣[là]HSK 4, n, 14 strokes, radical 辛, rank #1615, Medium
辣làpepper; hot, spicy; cruelHSK 4, n, 14 strokes, radical 辛, rank #1615, Medium
辣làold variant of 辣[la4]HSK 4, unknown, 14 strokes, radical 辛, rank #1615, Medium, nouns
辣làpungentHSK 4, unknown, 14 strokes, radical 辛, rank #1615, Medium
là(la4) T4
  1. 1old variant of 辣[là]
  2. 2pepper; hot, spicy; cruel
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March 24, 2026
辣(辢)là(la4)

The character 辣 (là) primarily means 'spicy' or 'hot', often used to describe food that has a strong, pungent flavor. It can also imply cruelty or harshness in a figurative sense. In culinary contexts, it is frequently associated with dishes that contain chili peppers or other spicy ingredients.

Strokes14Radical辛Frequency#1615DifficultyMedium
Cultural Note

In Chinese cuisine, spicy dishes are particularly popular in regions like Sichuan and Hunan, where the use of chili peppers is prominent. 辣 is often a key descriptor when talking about local specialties, reflecting the bold flavors that characterize these regional foods.

Memory Tip

Imagine a fiery pepper that brings heat to your tongue. The character 辣 looks like a combination of 'fire' (火) and 'to be strong' (力), symbolizing the intense heat and flavor. Picture yourself sweating after biting into a spicy pepper, and remember that 'là' sounds like 'lah', a sound of exclamation when you taste something overwhelmingly spicy!

Meanings of 辣

là(la4)
1pepper; hot, spicy; cruel
2pungent
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

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About 辣

辣Simplified
辢Traditional
14Strokes
辛Radical
名形词xíngróngcíadj-noun (adj.-n.)Part of Speech
#1615Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L4HSK 3.0L4IntermediateTOCFLL4HSKKL2CEFRB1

Podcast: 辣

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Podcast: 辣

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AI Study Notes for 辣

Quick Contrast

辛 (xīn) — use 辣 (là) for spiciness in food, while 辛 (xīn) refers to a more general sense of bitterness or harshness.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a fiery pepper that brings heat to your tongue. The character 辣 looks like a combination of 'fire' (火) and 'to be strong' (力), symbolizing the intense heat and flavor. Picture yourself sweating after biting into a spicy pepper, and remember that 'là' sounds like 'lah', a sound of exclamation when you taste something overwhelmingly spicy!

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 辣 (là) with 了 (le), as both can appear in casual conversation. It is more common in informal registers, especially when discussing food. Common collocations include 辣椒 (làjiāo - chili pepper) and 辣味 (làwèi - spicy flavor).

HSK Study Tips

As part of HSK Level 4, 辣 (là) connects with other food-related vocabulary like 酸 (suān - sour) and 甜 (tián - sweet). Focus on using it in sentences describing your food preferences or experiences in restaurants.

Cultural Note

In Chinese cuisine, spicy dishes are particularly popular in regions like Sichuan and Hunan, where the use of chili peppers is prominent. 辣 is often a key descriptor when talking about local specialties, reflecting the bold flavors that characterize these regional foods.

Common Mistakes

Learners sometimes mispronounce 辣 (là) as 'la', which changes its meaning. Ensure to use the correct tone to convey the right idea. Another common mistake is using 辣 in formal contexts, where it may seem too casual.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 辣

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Etymology of 辣

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 辛 represents the meaning and 束 represents the sound. Simplified form of 辢.

Memory Hint

bitter

Semantic (meaning)辛
+
Phonetic (sound)束
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 辣?

Decomposition of 辣

IDS Structure⿰辛束
辣Full Character
=
辛Xin1
left
束Shu4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 辣?

Write 辣

辣

Practice writing 辣 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Grammar Patterns of 辣

辣 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 4 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Related grammar lessons6
Exercise 1 of 3

Complete the Sentence

我不喜欢吃____的。

I don't like eating spicy food.

Example Sentences for 辣 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
你可以在15分钟内做出一道便宜的辣椒素菜。

nǐ kě yǐ zài15 15 fēn zhōng nèi zuò chū yī dào biàn yí de là jiāo sù。

You can cook a cheap veggie chilli in 15 minutes.
2
我揭开一罐辣椒的盖子。

wǒ jiē kāi yī guàn là jiāo de gài zǐ。

I pried the top off a can of chilli.
3
索尔特和佩帕是两个来自皇后区的精明泼辣的女孩。

suǒ ěr tè hé pèi pà shì liǎng gè lái zì huáng hòu qū de jīng míng pō là de nǚ hái。

Salt and Peppa are two streetwise and sassy girls from Queens.
4
切辣椒时要戴橡胶手套，因为辣椒会刺激皮肤。

qiē là jiāo shí yào dài xiàng jiāo shǒu tào， ， yīn wéi là jiāo huì cì jī pí。

Wear rubber gloves while chopping chillies as they can irritate the skin.
5
这要看你下多重的辣椒粉了。

zhè yào kàn nǐ xià duō zhòng de là jiāo fěn le。

It all depends on how heavy-handed you are with the paprika.
6
用油炸一下剩下的辣椒，如果需要再加点调味汁。

yòng yóu zhà yī xià shèng xià de là jiāo， ， rú guǒ xū yào zài jiā diǎn tiáo wèi。

Fry remaining peppers, adding a little more dressing if necessary.
7
在肉上切出深深的口子，再把辣酱塞进切口中。

zài ròu shàng qiē chū shēn shēn de kǒu zǐ， ， zài bǎ là jiàng sāi jìn qiē kǒu。

Make deep slashes in the meat and push in the spice paste.
8
如果喜欢清淡的口味，可少放或不放辣椒。

rú guǒ xǐ huān qīng dàn de kǒu wèi， ， kě shǎo fàng huò bù fàng là。

If you prefer mild flavours reduce or leave out the chilli.
9
他的情书貌似写得很火辣。

tā de qíng shū mào sì xiě dé hěn huǒ là。

His love letters were hot stuff, apparently.
10
她感到脸上火辣辣地红了起来.

tā gǎn dào liǎn shàng huǒ là là dì hóng le qǐ lái.

She felt colour flame up in her cheeks.

Cultural Notes for 辣

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese cuisine, spicy dishes are particularly popular in regions like Sichuan and Hunan, where the use of chili peppers is prominent. 辣 is often a key descriptor when talking about local specialties, reflecting the bold flavors that characterize these regional foods.

🌏Cross-cultural Insight

In Western cultures, the concept of 'spicy' often refers to heat from black pepper or hot sauces, while in China, it heavily emphasizes the use of chili peppers and the balance of flavors in dishes.

Word Family of 辣

Words Containing This Character19
辣làpungent
辣椒làjiāochili
麻辣málàhot and numbing
辛辣spicy hot (taste)
酸甜苦辣suāntiánkǔlàsour, sweet, bitter and spicy hot
火辣辣huǒlàlàpainful heat
火辣painful heat
辣椒酱red pepper paste辣椒醬
心狠手辣vicious and merciless (idiom)
泼辣shrewish潑辣
毒辣cruel
辣子chili
老辣shrewd and ruthless
辣根horseradish
酸辣汤hot and sour soup酸辣湯
吃香喝辣fig. to live well
辣酱油Worcestershire sauce辣醬油
阴险毒辣treacherous and murderous陰險毒辣
恶辣ruthless惡辣
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 辣 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 辣

辣 (là) refers specifically to spiciness or heat in food, while 麻 (má) describes a numbing sensation often associated with Sichuan cuisine. Both flavors can be found in spicy dishes, but they offer different sensory experiences.