Question
I’m in a restaurant in Japan and I’m not sure how spicy the food is. I don’t handle spicy food well but would like to try some dishes. How do I ask the waiter “Is this dish spicy?” in Japanese?
Japango Editor Team
この料理（りょうり）は辛（から）いですか。
Kono ryoori wa karai desuka?
Is this dish spicy?
It’s always good to know what you’re eating, especially if you’re sensitive to certain flavors like spiciness. “Kono ryoori” means “this dish” and “karai” means “spicy”, so the sentence “Kono ryoori wa karai desuka?” allows you to ask if the specific dish you’re interested in is spicy.
Feel free to substitute “kono ryoori” with the specific name of the dish you’re curious about if it’s on the menu. For example, if you want to know about a dish called “curry rice”, you can simply say “Karee raisu wa karai desuka?” This will help you navigate your culinary experience more comfortably.
