How to Say “Not spicy” in Chinese
Food and dining
"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.
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