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pica

PEE-kah/ˈpika/

“pica” means “it's spicy” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

it's spicy, it stings/itches

Also: he/she/it pecks, he/she/it snacks
VerbA2regular with spelling change (c to qu in some forms) ar
A small red chili pepper with a few drops of hot sauce next to it on a white surface.
gerundpicando
past Participlepicado
infinitivepicar

📝 In Action

Ten cuidado, esta salsa pica mucho.

A1

Be careful, this sauce is very spicy.

Me pica mucho el brazo por el mosquito.

A2

My arm is very itchy because of the mosquito.

El pájaro pica la fruta.

B1

The bird is pecking at the fruit.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • escuece (it stings (usually chemical/burn))
  • muerde (it bites)

Common Collocations

  • pica el gusanillo – to get the itch/urge to do something

Idioms & Expressions

  • el que se pica, ajos come – If you get offended, it's because the truth hurts

spades, pike

Also: pica
NounfB1
A large, black spade symbol from a deck of cards centered on a simple background.

📝 In Action

Tengo el as de picas.

B1

I have the ace of spades.

Los antiguos soldados usaban picas muy largas.

C1

The ancient soldiers used very long pikes.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • poner una pica en Flandes – to achieve something very difficult

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedespicaran
yopicara
túpicaras
vosotrospicarais
nosotrospicáramos
él/ella/ustedpicara

present

ellos/ellas/ustedespiquen
yopique
túpiques
vosotrospiquéis
nosotrospiquemos
él/ella/ustedpique

indicative

preterite

ellos/ellas/ustedespicaron
yopiqué
túpicaste
vosotrospicasteis
nosotrospicamos
él/ella/ustedpicó

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedespicaban
yopicaba
túpicabas
vosotrospicabais
nosotrospicábamos
él/ella/ustedpicaba

present

ellos/ellas/ustedespican
yopico
túpicas
vosotrospicáis
nosotrospicamos
él/ella/ustedpica
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "pica" in Spanish:

it's spicy→pica→pike→spades→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: pica

Question 1 of 1

If you are eating Mexican food and it is very hot/spicy, which should you say?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
picante(spicy) — Adjective
picadura(sting or bite) — Noun
picotear(to snack or peck) — Verb
picazón(itchiness) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
chicaricaaplica
📚 Etymology▼

From the Vulgar Latin word 'piccare,' which meant to pierce or prick with something sharp.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

French: piquerEnglish: pique

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does 'pica' always mean something is spicy?

No. While it's very common for food, it also means 'it itches' (like a sweater or a bug bite) or it can refer to the suit of spades in a deck of cards.

What is the difference between 'pica' and 'pique'?

'Pica' is the normal present tense (it stings). 'Pique' is the form used for wishes, commands, or after 'que' (e.g., 'espero que no pique' - I hope it isn't spicy).