Is This Dish Spicy?

How to use this card

1. Save it before you travel. Download the whole pack from /rescue-cards/ and it works offline — no app, no data plan.
2. Show the big Chinese line to whoever you are talking to. They read characters; the English at the bottom is for you.
3. Say it out loud too if they hesitate. A spoken request gets a faster answer than a silent card, and repeating it removes all doubt.
4. Read the English to understand the reply.

What they will likely say

• “不辣，微辣。” — Not spicy — mildly spicy.
• “有点辣，你能吃辣吗？” — It is a bit spicy — can you eat spicy food?
• “很辣，要不要我帮你换个不辣的？” — Very spicy — do you want me to swap it for something mild?
• “不辣的在这里。” — The non-spicy ones are here.

Pro tips

• 辣 (là) covers heat. 麻 (má) is the separate tingly numbing sensation of Sichuan peppercorn, and it is the one that surprises people — you cannot ask it away, only avoid it.
• A dish that looks covered in red is not necessarily hot. 剁椒 (duò jiāo) and 泡椒 (pào jiāo) can be salty without being very hot.
• If you are asking for a group, ask the question while pointing at the menu photo, not at the dish already in front of you.

Related guides

• Full guide — background reading for this situation

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This card is one of the TravelHubChina phrase cards — bilingual, offline, and verified against how people actually talk in China rather than textbook grammar. The full set is free at travelhubchina.com/rescue-cards/.