spicy · hardship

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: The on reading is しん, and the kun reading is からい. It has 7 strokes and relates to spiciness or hardship.
• Basic usage: 辛い is read からい, and 辛い is read つらい.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• 辛い（からい） / 辛い（つらい）
  • 辛い means spicy or hot and is read からい. It describes food tasting spicy because of chili peppers or seasoning.
  • この料理は唐辛子が多くてとても辛い。 means “This dish has a lot of chili pepper and is very spicy.”
  • 辛い means painful or difficult and is read つらい. It describes emotional pain or physical difficulty, such as a separation or demanding work.
  • 大切な友人との別れはとても辛い。 means “Parting with a dear friend is very painful.”