这个辣吗？
zhège là ma?
Is it spicy?
How to say "less spicy, please" in Chinese
少放一点辣。
shǎo fàng yìdiǎn là
Less spicy, please
Character breakdown
Grammar and structure
This is a polite request: 少 (shǎo) means 'less', 放 (fàng) means 'put', 一点 (yìdiǎn) means 'a little', and 辣 (là) means 'spicy'. So it literally means 'put a little less spicy'.
Variations and politeness
少放点辣
shǎo fàng diǎn là
Put a little less spicy. — More casual, drops 一 (yì).
放辣的少一点
fàng là de shǎo yìdiǎn
Put the spicy part a little less. — Slightly different word order, less common.
Mini dialogue
A
你好，我想点菜。
Nǐ hǎo, wǒ xiǎng diǎn cài.
Hello, I'd like to order.
B
好的，请问您要什么？
Hǎo de, qǐngwèn nín yào shénme?
Sure, what would you like?
A
少放一点辣。
Shǎo fàng yìdiǎn là.
Less spicy, please.
When to use it
Appropriate
- When ordering food at a restaurant and you want a milder spice level.
- When you want to politely ask the chef to reduce the amount of chili or spicy sauce.
Avoid when
- When you want absolutely no spice at all; say 不要辣 (bú yào là) instead.
- When you are not talking about food; this phrase is specific to adjusting spiciness in a dish.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say 'less spicy' in Chinese?
You can say 少放一点辣 (shǎo fàng yìdiǎn là), which literally means 'put a little less spicy'.
How do you pronounce 少放一点辣?
It is pronounced shǎo fàng yìdiǎn là, with the tones: 3rd, 4th, 4th, 3rd, 4th.
When should I use 少放一点辣 instead of 不要辣?
Use 少放一点辣 when you want just a little less spice, but still some. Use 不要辣 (bú yào là) if you want no spice at all.
More phrases for this situation
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