How to Write 辣 (là) — Meaning “spicy; hot.”

Imagine a bundle of red chili peppers (束) tied together, and the left side 辛 looks like a spice rack. Think: 'The spicy bundle makes me feel 辣 — hot and burning!' The shape of 辛 also resembles a person crying from the heat.

The left side 辛 has three short horizontal strokes — do not make them too long, and keep it narrower than the right side. The right side 束 has a vertical line passing through the middle horizontal stroke; beginners often forget to connect the top and bottom. Also, the total stroke count is 14, so write each stroke carefully to maintain balance.

辣 (spicy) has 束 on the right, while 辜 (guilt) has 古 on top and 辛 below, and 辟 (to avoid) has 尸 on the left and 辛 on the right. Visually, 辣 is the only one with a left-right structure where both sides are similar in width. Meaning-wise, 辣 is about taste, 辜 is about wrongdoing, and 辟 is about opening or escaping.

辣 is very common in food descriptions, like 辣椒 (chili pepper) and 酸辣汤 (hot and sour soup). It also describes 'hot' people or styles, such as 辣妹 (hot girl). Culturally, 辣 is a key flavor in Sichuan cuisine, and the phrase 酸甜苦辣 (sweet, sour, bitter, spicy) represents all experiences in life.

Common words containing 辣 include: 辣椒 (là jiāo) — chili pepper.; 辣妹 (là mèi) — hot girl; spice girl.; 酸辣汤 (suān là tāng) — hot and sour soup.