Questions & Answers about Перець гострий.
Word order in Ukrainian is relatively flexible.
• Перець гострий is the neutral “noun + adjective” order, like stating a fact.
• Гострий перець (“spicy pepper”) puts a tiny extra emphasis on спicy, as if distinguishing it from other peppers.
In masculine singular nominative adjectives typically end in -ий. For other genders and numbers the ending changes to agree with the noun:
• Feminine: гостра (e.g. гостра паприка)
• Neuter: гостре (e.g. гостре блюдо)
• Plural: гострі (e.g. гострі перці)
Rough phonetic transcription: [ˈpɛrʲetsʲ ˈɦɔsdʲrɪj].
Note that in гострий the t becomes voiced before r, so you hear something like госдр-ий rather than госн-ий.
• гострий = “spicy,” “sharp,” “piquant” (taste or sensation).
• гарячий = “hot” in temperature.
If you want to say “hot pepper” as in “temperature,” use гарячий перець, but for “spicy pepper” always use гострий перець.
You’d say:
Цей перець гострий?
Again, the present‐tense “is” is omitted.
Use не before the adjective:
Цей перець не гострий.
Yes. Перець on its own can mean either. If you need to distinguish, you add an adjective:
• солодкий перець = bell pepper (“sweet pepper”)
• гострий перець = chili pepper (“spicy pepper”)