मसालेदार (masaaledaar)
adjective
A single-sense adjective meaning 'spicy/spiced' (full of masala masaalaa), used for food and, by extension, for lively stories or gossip.
Sense
1
:
spicy, richly spiced (food)
adjective
Synonyms: तीखा (tiikhaa, hot/pungent, not the same as spiced), चटपटा (chataptaa, tangy and zesty)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: Any Delhi cook will tell you मसालेदार (masaaledaar) is high praise for a curry -- it means the masala masaalaa (the onion-tomato-spice base) has been built up properly, with layers of flavor, not just heat. It's the opposite of a bland, watery preparation.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often use मसालेदार (masaaledaar) when they mean 'hot/pungent,' but it really means 'full of spices/masala' -- a dish can be मसालेदार (masaaledaar) without being तीखा (tiikhaa, chili-hot). 2) It describes the presence and richness of spicing, not necessarily the heat level, so a mild but richly spiced curry is still मसालेदार (masaaledaar).
Sample Sentences:
यह करी बहुत मसालेदार है।
This curry is very spicy.
(yah karii bahut masaaledaar hai।)
मेरी नानी हमेशा मसालेदार खाना बनाती थीं।
My grandmother always used to cook spicy food.
(merii naanii hameshaa masaaledaar khaanaa banaatii thiin।)
इतना मसालेदार मत बनाओ, बच्चे भी खाएँगे।
Don't make it so spicy, the kids will be eating it too.
(itnaa masaaledaar mat banaao, bachche bhii khaaenge।)
अगर सब्ज़ी थोड़ी और मसालेदार होती, तो और मज़ा आता।
If the vegetable dish had been a bit spicier, it would have been even more enjoyable.
(agar sabzii thodii aur masaaledaar hotii, to aur mazaa aataa।)
ढाबे पर मिलने वाला मसालेदार छोले-भटूरे यहाँ की जान है।
The spicy chole-bhature you get at the roadside eatery are the soul of this place.
(dhaabe par milne vaalaa masaaledaar chhole-bhatoore yahaan kii jaan hai।)
शायद यह डिश थोड़ी मसालेदार हो, आप संभल कर खाइए।
This dish might be a bit spicy, please eat it carefully.
(shaayad yah dish thodii masaaledaar ho, aap sambhal kar khaaie।)
रेस्तराँ में सबसे मसालेदार बिरयानी यहीं मिलती है।
The spiciest biryani in the restaurant is found right here.
(restraan men sabse masaaledaar biryaanii yahiin miltii hai।)
इतना मसालेदार खाना खाने के बाद उसका पेट खराब हो गया।
After eating such spicy food, his stomach got upset.
(itnaa masaaledaar khaanaa khaane ke baad uskaa pet kharaab ho gayaa।)
मुझे मसालेदार खाना पसंद है, पर ज़्यादा तीखा नहीं।
I like spicy food, but not too hot.
(mujhe masaaledaar khaanaa pasand hai, par zyaadaa tiikhaa nahiin।)
यह मसाला ठीक से भुना गया है, इसलिए सब्ज़ी इतनी मसालेदार बनी है।
This masala has been properly roasted, which is why the vegetable dish has turned out so richly spiced.
(yah masaalaa thiik se bhunaa gayaa hai, islie sabzii itnii masaaledaar banii hai।)
पंजाबी खाना अक्सर बहुत मसालेदार होता है।
Punjabi food is often very spicy.
(panjaabii khaanaa aksar bahut masaaledaar hotaa hai।)
Sense
2
:
juicy, sensational, spicy (of gossip, news, or a story)
adjective
Synonyms: रसीला (rasiilaa, juicy, more about relish/flavor than scandal), चटपटा (chataptaa, zesty, lighter register)
Frequency: medium
Cultural Note: Just like in English 'spicy gossip,' Hindi extends the kitchen metaphor to talk: a मसालेदार (masaaledaar) story is one with enough scandal or drama to make it worth repeating over chai. You'll hear it a lot describing TV news or neighborhood gossip.
Common Mistakes: 1) This figurative sense is very common in speech about news and gossip -- मसालेदार खबर (masaaledaar khabar, 'spicy/sensational news') -- and learners who only know the food sense may miss it in conversation.
Sample Sentences:
पड़ोस में इतनी मसालेदार खबर फैल रही है कि सब चाय पर वही बात कर रहे हैं।
Such a juicy story is spreading in the neighborhood that everyone is talking about it over chai.
(pados men itnii masaaledaar khabar phail rahii hai ki sab chaay par vahii baat kar rahe hain।)
उस अभिनेत्री के तलाक की कहानी बहुत मसालेदार थी।
That actress's divorce story was very juicy.
(us abhinetrii ke talaak kii kahaanii bahut masaaledaar thii।)
न्यूज़ चैनल हमेशा हर खबर को मसालेदार बना देते हैं।
News channels always turn every story into something sensational.
(nyooz chainal hameshaa har khabar ko masaaledaar banaa dete hain।)
अगर कहानी में थोड़ा मसालेदार मोड़ न होता, तो कोई उसे सुनना भी न चाहता।
If the story didn't have a bit of a juicy twist, no one would even want to hear it.
(agar kahaanii men thodaa masaaledaar mod n hotaa, to koii use sunnaa bhii n chaahtaa।)
क्या तुमने वो मसालेदार गॉसिप सुनी जो कल दफ़्तर में फैल गई थी?
Did you hear that juicy gossip that spread around the office yesterday?
(kyaa tumne vo masaaledaar gosip sunii jo kal daftar men phail gaii thii?)
कृपया कहानी को बिना मसालेदार बनाए, जैसा हुआ वैसा ही बताइए।
Please tell the story exactly as it happened, without making it sound sensational.
(kripyaa kahaanii ko binaa masaaledaar banaae, jaisaa huaa vaisaa hii bataaie।)
अखबार में यह खबर बड़े मसालेदार अंदाज़ में छापी गई थी।
This news was printed in the newspaper in a very sensationalized style.
(akhbaar men yah khabar bade masaaledaar andaaz men chhaapii gaii thii।)
शायद वह किस्सा उतना मसालेदार न हो, जितना लोग बता रहे हैं।
Perhaps that story isn't as juicy as people are making it out to be.
(shaayad vah kissaa utnaa masaaledaar n ho, jitnaa log bataa rahe hain।)
उसकी ज़िंदगी की कहानी इतनी मसालेदार है कि उस पर फ़िल्म बन सकती है।
His life story is so juicy that a movie could be made on it.
(uskii zindgii kii kahaanii itnii masaaledaar hai ki us par film ban saktii hai।)
जब भी कोई मसालेदार खबर आती है, वह उसे बढ़ा-चढ़ाकर सुनाता है।
Whenever some juicy news comes along, he narrates it with exaggeration.
(jab bhii koii masaaledaar khabar aatii hai, vah use badhaa-chadhaakar sunaataa hai।)
Morphology
Adjective (invariant)
invariant:
मसालेदार
(masaaledaar)