What is the difference between "からい" and "辛い"?

"からい" means "spicy" (N5), whereas "辛い" represents "spicy; hot (flavor)" (N4).

Kanji Homophone Battle

Pronunciation Trap: "からい (karai)"

Same sound, completely different Kanji! Choose the right conceptual writing.

Kanji Option A

からい (karai)

N5 / CEFR

Kanji Option B

からい (karai)

N4 / CEFR

In Japanese, many words share the exact same pronunciation "からい (karai)" but are written with different Kanji, changing the meaning entirely.

からい (Level: N5): Translates to "spicy" and is used when An i-adjective.
辛い (Level: N4): Maps to "spicy; hot (flavor)" and carries the nuance of I-adjective. Primarily describes the taste of food.

Mixing these up can easily result in unnatural writing. Look at the bilingual context cards below to master the conceptual boundaries!

Bilingual Context for "からい"

このカレーはとてもからいです。

This curry is very spicy.

Bilingual Context for "辛い"

この料理はとても辛い。

This dish is very spicy.

Which Kanji perfectly fits this blank space?

Which Kanji perfectly fits the blank: "このカレーはとても＿＿＿です。" (Meaning: "This curry is very spicy.")

🎉 Correct Answer!

Correct! "からい" is used for "spicy" in the context: "This curry is very spicy.".