Un café demasiado amargo en pareja

What does “amargo” mean in Spanish?

Amargo is the taste of black coffee with no sugar — “bitter,” the opposite of dulce (sweet). Este café está amargo, le falta azúcar means “this coffee is bitter, it needs sugar.” The word doubles as a feeling: an amargo person is embittered, un recuerdo amargo is a painful memory, and amargado describes someone soured on life. One word covers both the cup and the mood.

Spanish keeps its core tastes tidy: dulce (sweet), salado (salty), ácido / agrio (sour), amargo (bitter), with picante for spicy heat. The taste-to-emotion jump is the same one English makes with “bitter.” Useful verb: amargar — no me amargues el día, “don’t ruin my day.”