How to Say “Not spicy” in Chinese
Food and dining · HSK 2
"Not spicy" in Chinese is 不要辣 (bú yào là). 不要辣 (bú yào là, "do not want spicy") tells kitchen staff to skip the chili. Subtlety: in Sichuan, Hunan, and Chongqing, "not spicy" can still be spicy by Western standards; specify 一点辣都不要 (no spice at all) if heat-sensitive.
Primary translation
不要辣
bú yào là
When to use it
不要辣 (bú yào là, "do not want spicy") tells kitchen staff to skip the chili. Subtlety: in Sichuan, Hunan, and Chongqing, "not spicy" can still be spicy by Western standards; specify 一点辣都不要 (no spice at all) if heat-sensitive. 微辣 (wēi là) is mild, 中辣 (zhōng là) is medium, 重辣 (zhòng là) is heavy. Many dishes are pre-seasoned; ask 可以做成不辣的吗 (can you make this without spice?) rather than assuming staff can remove the chili after cooking.
Example sentences
这个菜不要辣。
Zhège cài búyào là.
I do not want this dish spicy.
一点辣都不要。
Yì diǎn là dōu búyào.
Not a bit of spice.
微辣就可以了。
Wēi là jiù kěyǐ le.
Mild spicy is fine.