The rule: heat you feel → 熱 (jit6); heat you taste → 辣 (laat6). English calls both hot — hot day, hot curry. Cantonese refuses the shortcut: 今日好熱 but 啲咖哩好辣. One describes the thermometer, the other the tongue.
| 熱 | 辣 | |
|---|---|---|
| Jyutping | jit6 (tone 6, low flat) | laat6 (tone 6, low flat) |
| Job | Temperature — hot, warm | Flavour — spicy, peppery |
| Applies to | Weather, drinks, food served hot, fever | Chilli, pepper, mustard, wasabi |
| Opposite | 凍 (dung3, cold) / 涼 (loeng4, cool) | 唔辣 (not spicy) — no single antonym |
| Situation | Say | Why |
|---|---|---|
| "Today is so hot" | 今日好熱 | Weather — 熱 |
| "This soup is spicy" | 啲湯好辣 | Flavour — 辣 |
| "Hot coffee, please" | 唔該杯熱咖啡 | Served-hot drink — 熱 |
| "Less spicy, please" | 唔該少辣 | Dialling down chilli — 辣 |
| "I can't handle spice" | 我唔食得辣 | Spice tolerance — 食得辣 |
| "The curry is hot AND spicy" | 啲咖哩又熱又辣 | Both true — say both |
Ordering 唔熱嘅咖哩 when you mean not-spicy curry — you'll get it lukewarm and still fiery. 辣 is the only word that touches chilli. Drill it at the dai pai dong: 少辣走青, extra points.
More learner answers on the FAQ page; other classic mix-ups: 唔該 vs 多謝, 係 vs 喺; head-to-head dictionary picks on best Cantonese dictionary.
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