Jordi Cruz cocina cordero para los jueces de MasterChef

What does “una chispina” mean in Spanish?

“Una chispa” is literally a spark, but colloquially it means a tiny amount — a touch, a smidge. Add the affectionate diminutive “-ina” and “una chispina” softens it further: just a teeny bit. The payoff for learners is the diminutive’s real job here — not “small in size” but “small in degree,” and a way to downplay something so it sounds gentle and friendly.

Here a chef warns the judges that the carrots “pican una chispina” — they’re a teeny bit spicy — playing the heat down so nobody is alarmed. Spanish stacks these degree-softeners freely: “un poquito,” “un pelín” (very Peninsular), “una pizca,” “una miaja/miajina” in the south. Reach for one whenever you want to admit something is true but make it sound like no big deal.