picante در ۳۰ ثانیه
- Picante primarily describes the burning sensation of spicy food, like chili peppers or piri-piri, essential for navigating Portuguese menus and grocery stores.
- It is a gender-neutral adjective, meaning it stays the same for masculine and feminine nouns, but adds an 's' for plural forms (picantes).
- Metaphorically, it describes 'spicy' or suggestive content, such as risqué jokes (piadas picantes) or scandalous news details (detalhes picantes).
- Crucially, it is distinct from 'quente' (hot temperature); 'picante' is about flavor/spice, while 'quente' is about thermal heat or physical temperature.
The Portuguese word picante is a versatile adjective primarily used to describe food that has a sharp, biting, or pungent flavor, typically resulting from the use of peppers, spices, or ginger. At its core, it refers to the physical sensation of heat on the palate. However, like its English counterpart 'spicy', it extends beyond the kitchen into social and metaphorical realms. In a literal sense, when you call a dish picante, you are warning or informing the eater that it contains capsaicin or similar compounds that will stimulate the heat receptors in the mouth. This is a fundamental concept in Portuguese gastronomy, especially when discussing dishes from regions like the Algarve, or former colonies like Mozambique and Angola, where the piri-piri pepper is a staple.
- Literal Meaning
- Refers to food that causes a burning sensation due to spices.
- Metaphorical Meaning
- Refers to stories, jokes, or situations that are suggestive, risqué, or slightly scandalous.
- Grammatical Nature
- It is an adjective of two genders (uniform), meaning it doesn't change form between masculine and feminine nouns.
Beyond food, picante is used to describe content that is 'racy' or 'suggestive'. A piada picante is a dirty joke, and a detalhe picante is a juicy or scandalous detail about someone's private life. It implies something that 'stings' the social norms or adds a bit of 'heat' to a conversation. It is important to distinguish this from quente, which refers strictly to thermal temperature. If a soup is quente, it might burn your tongue because it was just on the stove; if it is picante, it burns because of the chili peppers.
"Cuidado, este molho de piri-piri é muito picante!"
"Ela contou uma história picante sobre a festa de ontem."
"Não gosto de comida picante, prefiro sabores suaves."
"Os jornais publicaram detalhes picantes do divórcio."
"Este caril está no ponto, nem muito nem pouco picante."
- Origin
- Derived from the verb 'picar' (to sting or prick).
- Synonym
- Apimentado, forte, ardente.
Using picante correctly requires understanding its grammatical flexibility and its placement in a sentence. As an adjective, it typically follows the noun it modifies. For example, comida picante (spicy food) or molho picante (spicy sauce). One of the most important things for learners to remember is that picante is an adjective of 'two genders' but 'one form'. This means you use the same word for both masculine and feminine nouns: o chouriço picante (masculine) and a sardinha picante (feminine). However, it does change for number: os temperos picantes (plural).
In terms of intensity, you can modify picante with adverbs like muito (very), pouco (a little), ligeiramente (slightly), or extremamente (extremely). If you are at a restaurant and want to ask if a dish is spicy, you would ask: "Este prato é picante?" If you want to request that a dish be made spicy, you might say: "Pode fazer o prato bem picante, por favor?"
When using the word in its metaphorical sense (suggestive content), it is often used with nouns like piada (joke), conversa (conversation), or cena (scene). For instance, "O filme tem algumas cenas picantes" implies the movie has some erotic or suggestive scenes. It is a polite way to describe content that might be for adults without being overly vulgar. In professional settings, calling a colleague's comment picante might be seen as a critique of their professionalism, suggesting they are being inappropriate.
Another nuance is the difference between picante and ardente. While both can mean burning, ardente is more poetic or physical (like a fire or a fever), whereas picante is specifically related to the 'sting' of spices or wit. In Brazilian Portuguese, you might also hear apimentado more frequently in domestic cooking contexts, while picante remains the standard adjective for the general quality of heat.
You will encounter picante most frequently in culinary environments. In Portugal, if you visit a churrasqueira (a grill house), the waiter will almost certainly ask: "Com ou sem picante?" (With or without spicy sauce?). This refers to the ubiquitous piri-piri oil. In supermarkets, you will see labels on sausages (chouriço picante), canned sardines (sardinhas em tomate picante), and snack bags. It is a key descriptor on menus, especially for international cuisines like Indian (caril picante), Mexican (tacos picantes), or Chinese.
In media, specifically in entertainment news or 'tabloids' (imprensa cor-de-rosa), picante is a favorite word for headlines. You might see: "As revelações picantes da atriz sobre o seu ex-marido" (The spicy revelations of the actress about her ex-husband). It serves to grab attention by promising scandalous or intimate details. On television, talk show hosts might use it to describe a guest's bold outfit or a witty, sharp-tongued remark.
In social gatherings, friends might use it when gossiping. If someone is telling a story that is getting a bit too detailed about a romantic encounter, a listener might say, "Eia, que picante!" as a way of acknowledging the 'heat' of the story. It is also common in the context of humor; a piada picante is a standard term for what English speakers might call a 'dirty joke' or an 'adult joke'. Finally, in literature, it can describe a 'sharp' or 'biting' style of writing or a character with a 'spicy' (sassy) personality.
The most frequent mistake for English speakers is confusing picante with quente. In English, 'hot' covers both temperature and spiciness. In Portuguese, these are strictly separated. If you say "Esta sopa está muito quente," you mean the temperature is high. If you mean it has too much pepper, you must say "Esta sopa está muito picante." Saying a person is quente can also have sexual connotations, but calling a person picante usually refers to their behavior or the things they say, rather than their physical state.
Another common error involves gender agreement. Because many Portuguese adjectives end in -o or -a, learners often try to say picanta for feminine nouns. This is incorrect. Picante ends in -e, making it invariable for gender. It is always a comida picante, never a comida picanta. However, don't forget the plural: os molhos picantes.
Learners also sometimes confuse picante (the adjective) with pimenta (the noun 'pepper'). You cannot use pimenta as an adjective. You don't have comida pimenta; you have comida com pimenta or comida picante. Similarly, piri-piri is a specific type of chili; while all piri-piri is picante, not all picante food uses piri-piri.
Finally, be careful with the metaphorical use. While picante is generally safe, using it to describe a person directly ("Tu és picante") can be ambiguous. It might mean you think they are 'spicy' (sassy/interesting) or it could be interpreted as a comment on their sexual attractiveness, depending on the tone and context. It is safer to use it to describe actions, stories, or jokes rather than people themselves until you are very comfortable with the nuances.
To enrich your vocabulary, it is helpful to look at words related to picante. The most direct synonym is apimentado, which literally means 'peppered'. While picante describes the sensation, apimentado describes the cause. Another close relative is forte (strong). In a restaurant, if you want something very spicy, you might ask for it bem forte.
For a more intense or poetic description, you can use ardente (burning). This is often used for physical sensations like a 'burning throat' (garganta ardente) after eating a habanero. Cáustico is a more formal and metaphorical term, used for 'biting' or 'sarcastic' wit that 'burns' the recipient, similar to a comentário picante but much harsher.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, we have suave (mild/smooth) and doce (sweet). If a dish is described as agridoce, it is 'sweet and sour', which often pairs with a toque picante (spicy touch). The word insosso or insípido refers to food that is bland or lacks flavor entirely—the total opposite of something picante.
In the world of peppers, you will hear malagueta, which is a specific, very hot pepper common in Brazil and Portugal. If someone says a dish is com malagueta, they are giving you a specific warning that it will be muito picante. Understanding these variations allows you to navigate a Portuguese menu or a conversation about food with much more precision and confidence.
چقدر رسمی است؟
سطح دشواری
گرامر لازم
Adjective agreement
Ser vs Estar with adjectives
Adverbs of intensity
Comparative and Superlative forms
مثالها بر اساس سطح
A pizza é picante.
The pizza is spicy.
Simple adjective use after the verb 'ser'.
Eu não gosto de molho picante.
I don't like spicy sauce.
Negative sentence with 'gostar de'.
Este frango é picante?
Is this chicken spicy?
Interrogative sentence.
O arroz não é picante.
The rice is not spicy.
Negation of the adjective.
Quero um pouco de picante, por favor.
I want a little bit of spicy (sauce), please.
'Picante' used here as a noun referring to the sauce.
A sopa está muito picante.
The soup is very spicy.
Use of 'muito' as an intensifier.
É um chouriço picante.
It is a spicy sausage.
Adjective following the noun.
Tens algo picante?
Do you have something spicy?
Informal question with 'ter'.
Este caril é mais picante do que o outro.
This curry is spicier than the other one.
Comparative of superiority: 'mais... do que'.
Gosto de comida picante, mas não muito.
I like spicy food, but not too much.
Use of 'mas' to show contrast.
Onde está o óleo picante?
Where is the spicy oil?
Definite article with adjective.
As batatas estão picantes.
The potatoes are spicy.
Plural agreement: 'picante' becomes 'picantes'.
Ela prefere sabores menos picantes.
She prefers less spicy flavors.
Plural adjective with 'menos'.
Cuidado, a pimenta é picante.
Careful, the pepper is spicy.
Warning using 'cuidado'.
Este restaurante tem pratos muito picantes.
This restaurant has very spicy dishes.
Plural noun and adjective.
Não ponhas muito picante na carne.
Don't put too much spicy (sauce) on the meat.
Imperative negative.
O comediante contou uma piada muito picante.
The comedian told a very spicy (suggestive) joke.
Metaphorical use of 'picante'.
Se o molho for picante, eu bebo muita água.
If the sauce is spicy, I drink a lot of water.
Conditional sentence with Future Subjunctive.
Achei a conversa um pouco picante demais.
I found the conversation a bit too spicy (suggestive).
Use of 'demais' for 'too much'.
Eles servem umas asinhas de frango bem picantes.
They serve some really spicy chicken wings.
Use of 'bem' as an intensifier.
O segredo deste prato é o toque picante.
The secret of this dish is the spicy touch.
Noun phrase 'toque picante'.
Gostarias de provar este queijo picante?
Would you like to taste this spicy cheese?
Conditional mood 'gostarias'.
A vida na cidade é mais picante do que no campo.
Life in the city is 'spicier' (more exciting/intense) than in the country.
Abstract metaphorical use.
Não sabia que a mostarda era tão picante.
I didn't know the mustard was so spicy.
Use of 'tão' for emphasis.
A imprensa publicou pormenores picantes sobre o escândalo.
The press published spicy details about the scandal.
Use of 'pormenores' (details).
Embora seja picante, este prato é delicioso.
Although it is spicy, this dish is delicious.
Concessive clause with Present Subjunctive 'seja'.
O autor usa um estilo picante para criticar a sociedade.
The author uses a spicy (biting/sharp) style to criticize society.
Metaphorical use in literary context.
A discussão tornou-se picante quando falaram de política.
The discussion became 'spicy' (heated/sharp) when they talked about politics.
Reflexive verb 'tornar-se'.
Prefiro o piri-piri caseiro, que é mais picante.
I prefer homemade piri-piri, which is spicier.
Relative clause with 'que'.
Este vinho tem um final ligeiramente picante.
This wine has a slightly spicy finish.
Technical culinary description.
Disseram-me que o filme tinha cenas picantes.
They told me the movie had spicy (suggestive) scenes.
Indirect speech.
O tempero está equilibrado, nem muito salgado nem muito picante.
The seasoning is balanced, neither too salty nor too spicy.
Correlative conjunction 'nem... nem'.
A sátira era tão picante que causou polémica no governo.
The satire was so biting (spicy) that it caused controversy in the government.
Use of 'picante' for sharp social critique.
O paladar é despertado pela nota picante do gengibre fresco.
The palate is awakened by the spicy note of fresh ginger.
Passive voice 'é despertado'.
Houve uma troca picante de palavras entre os dois rivais.
There was a spicy (sharp/heated) exchange of words between the two rivals.
Noun phrase 'troca picante de palavras'.
A obra é recheada de anedotas picantes da corte setecentista.
The work is filled with spicy anecdotes from the 18th-century court.
Adjective 'recheada' (filled/stuffed).
O molho, de uma ardência picante, dominava todo o prato.
The sauce, of a spicy heat, dominated the whole dish.
Appositive phrase for description.
Não se deve confundir o picante do chili com o calor da pimenta-preta.
One should not confuse the spiciness of chili with the heat of black pepper.
Impersonal 'se' construction.
A sua resposta foi picante e certeira, calando os críticos.
His/her response was spicy (sharp) and accurate, silencing the critics.
Coordinated adjectives.
A gastronomia goesa é famosa pelo seu caráter picante e aromático.
Goan gastronomy is famous for its spicy and aromatic character.
Possessive 'seu' with abstract noun 'caráter'.
A crónica destila um humor picante que não poupa ninguém.
The chronicle distills a spicy (biting) humor that spares no one.
Metaphorical verb 'destilar'.
A complexidade do prato reside no equilíbrio entre o doce e o picante.
The complexity of the dish lies in the balance between the sweet and the spicy.
Nominalization of adjectives 'o doce' and 'o picante'.
As memórias do diplomata contêm passagens assaz picantes.
The diplomat's memoirs contain quite spicy (suggestive) passages.
Use of the formal adverb 'assaz' (quite/very).
Subjaz àquela observação um subtexto picante e irónico.
Underlying that observation is a spicy and ironic subtext.
Sophisticated verb 'subjaz' (underlies).
O debate atingiu um tom picante, roçando a agressividade.
The debate reached a spicy (heated) tone, bordering on aggressiveness.
Gerund 'roçando' (bordering/brushing).
A mestria do chef nota-se na forma como doseia o elemento picante.
The chef's mastery is noted in the way he doses the spicy element.
Abstract noun 'elemento picante'.
Tal afirmação, embora picante, carece de fundamento histórico.
Such a statement, although spicy (provocative), lacks historical foundation.
Concessive insertion.
A língua portuguesa é rica em termos que descrevem o espectro do picante.
The Portuguese language is rich in terms that describe the spectrum of spiciness.
Complex prepositional phrase.
ترکیبهای رایج
عبارات رایج
اغلب اشتباه گرفته میشود با
اصطلاحات و عبارات
بهراحتی اشتباه گرفته میشود
Refers to temperature, not spice.
The noun for pepper, not the adjective for spicy.
Bell pepper (usually not spicy).
More specific to being seasoned with pepper.
More about the physical sensation of burning.
الگوهای جملهسازی
نحوه استفاده
Always refers to the 'heat' of spices.
Refers to things that are slightly inappropriate or suggestive.
Picante = Spice heat; Quente = Temperature heat.
- Saying 'comida picanta' (should be 'picante').
- Using 'quente' to mean spicy (should be 'picante').
- Using 'pimenta' as an adjective (should be 'picante' or 'com pimenta').
- Forgetting the plural 's' in 'molhos picantes'.
- Confusing 'picante' with 'salgado' (salty).
نکات
Gender Neutrality
Remember that 'picante' ends in 'e', so it doesn't have a masculine or feminine form. It's always the same!
Piri-piri
In Portugal, if you want it spicy, just ask for 'piri-piri'. It's the local word for the spicy oil.
Restaurant Etiquette
Many Portuguese restaurants put a bottle of spicy oil on the table. It's usually free to use!
Quente vs Picante
Never use 'quente' to mean spicy. If you say the food is 'quente', the waiter will think it's just hot from the oven.
Metaphorical Use
Use 'picante' to describe a juicy piece of gossip to sound more like a native speaker.
Nasal Sound
The 'an' in 'picante' is nasal. Try to breathe a bit of air through your nose when saying it.
Toque Picante
A 'toque picante' is a great way to describe a dish that has just a hint of heat.
Menu Reading
Look for the word 'picante' next to dishes like 'Caril' or 'Chouriço' on menus.
Plurals
Always add the 's' if you are talking about more than one spicy thing: 'As batatas são picantes'.
Waiters
Waiters often ask 'Com picante?' very quickly. Listen for the 'p' and 't' sounds.
حفظ کنید
ریشه کلمه
Latin 'piccare'
بافت فرهنگی
The word 'apimentado' is often used interchangeably with 'picante' for food.
Always check if the 'piri-piri' is homemade; it's usually much stronger.
The source of much of the spice in the Lusophone world; food here is notably more 'picante'.
تمرین در زندگی واقعی
موقعیتهای واقعی
شروعکنندههای مکالمه
"Gostas de comida picante?"
"Qual é o prato mais picante que já comeste?"
"Este molho é muito picante para ti?"
"Preferes comida doce ou picante?"
"Conheces alguma piada picante?"
موضوعات نگارش
Descreve a tua comida picante favorita.
Escreve sobre uma vez que comeste algo demasiado picante.
O que achas de filmes com cenas picantes?
Como é que o picante é usado na culinária do teu país?
Faz uma lista de 5 coisas picantes que tens em casa.
سوالات متداول
10 سوالNo, 'picante' is an adjective of two genders. You say 'o molho picante' and 'a carne picante'.
You can say 'muito picante' or 'bem picante'.
Only for food. For temperature, you must use 'quente'.
The plural is 'picantes'.
Yes, but be careful. It usually means they are sassy or that they say suggestive things.
Piri-piri is the most common source of 'picante' in Portugal.
It is a standard word used in both formal and informal contexts.
No, 'salty' is 'salgado'.
Ask: 'Isto é picante?'
Yes, it is used throughout the Portuguese-speaking world.
خودت رو بسنج 180 سوال
/ 180 درست
نمره کامل!
Summary
The word 'picante' is your go-to adjective for anything that 'stings' the palate or social sensibilities. Whether you're ordering 'frango picante' or listening to a 'história picante', it signifies a level of intensity and heat that goes beyond the ordinary.
- Picante primarily describes the burning sensation of spicy food, like chili peppers or piri-piri, essential for navigating Portuguese menus and grocery stores.
- It is a gender-neutral adjective, meaning it stays the same for masculine and feminine nouns, but adds an 's' for plural forms (picantes).
- Metaphorically, it describes 'spicy' or suggestive content, such as risqué jokes (piadas picantes) or scandalous news details (detalhes picantes).
- Crucially, it is distinct from 'quente' (hot temperature); 'picante' is about flavor/spice, while 'quente' is about thermal heat or physical temperature.
Gender Neutrality
Remember that 'picante' ends in 'e', so it doesn't have a masculine or feminine form. It's always the same!
Piri-piri
In Portugal, if you want it spicy, just ask for 'piri-piri'. It's the local word for the spicy oil.
Restaurant Etiquette
Many Portuguese restaurants put a bottle of spicy oil on the table. It's usually free to use!
Quente vs Picante
Never use 'quente' to mean spicy. If you say the food is 'quente', the waiter will think it's just hot from the oven.
مثال
Eu adoro comida picante, como pimenta.
محتوای مرتبط
این کلمه در زبانهای دیگر
قواعد دستوری مرتبط
واژههای بیشتر food
a conta
A1The bill or check (in a restaurant).
a gosto
A2به معنای 'به مقدار دلخواه' یا 'بنا بر سلیقه' است.
à la carte
A2سفارش دادن غذاهای مجزا از منو، با قیمت گذاری جداگانه برای هر آیتم. این امر انعطاف پذیری در انتخاب وعده غذایی شما را فراهم می کند.
à mão
A2دستی یا دم دست. این اصطلاح برای توصیف کارهای دستی یا اشاره به نزدیک بودن چیزی استفاده میشود.
à mesa
A2پشت میز بودن، معمولاً برای صرف غذا.
à parte
A2جداگانه سرو شده یا کنار گذاشته شده است.
à pressa
A2انجام شده یا صورت گرفته با سرعت بسیار زیاد به دلیل کمبود وقت.
à saúde
A2A toast, meaning 'to health' or 'cheers'.
a vapor
A2بخارپز شده یا با نیروی بخار.
à vontade
A2راحت بودن، مثل خانه خود بودن.
