Asking About Spice Level

Finding out how spicy a dish is and asking to adjust the heat level.

You
¿Qué tan picante es este plato?
keh tahn pee-KAHN-teh ehs EHS-teh PLAH-toh?
How spicy is this dish?
'¿Qué tan...?' means 'how much/how...' and is very common in Latin American Spanish (less common in Spain).
Waiter
Pica un poco. Lleva chile habanero, pero podemos hacerlo más suave.
PEE-kah oon POH-koh. YEH-bah CHEE-leh ah-bah-NEH-roh, PEH-roh poh-DEH-mohs ah-SEHR-loh mahs SWAH-beh.
It's a bit spicy. It has habanero chili, but we can make it milder.
'Pica' comes from 'picar' (to sting/bite) — the standard way to describe spiciness. 'Suave' means mild.
You
Sí, más suave, por favor. No aguanto mucho el picante.
see, mahs SWAH-beh, pohr fah-BOHR. noh ah-GWAHN-toh MOO-choh ehl pee-KAHN-teh.
Yes, milder please. I can't handle much spice.
'No aguanto el picante' (I can't handle spice) is a very useful phrase. No one will judge you — locals understand not everyone likes heat.
Waiter
No hay problema. Le ponemos la salsa aparte para que usted decida.
noh ay proh-BLEH-mah. leh poh-NEH-mohs lah SAHL-sah ah-PAHR-teh PAH-rah keh oos-TEHD deh-SEE-dah.
No problem. We'll put the salsa on the side so you can decide.
'Aparte' (on the side) is a key word for controlling your meal. You can also say 'sin chile' (without chili) to be safe.