Dietary & Allergies

1. Je suis végétarien.

   I am vegetarian.

   Usage

   Declares vegetarianism; women say "végétarienne"

   Grammar Note

   French adjectives agree in gender and number

2. Je suis végan. Je ne mange aucun produit animal.

   I'm vegan. I don't eat any animal products.

   Usage

   Avoids all animal-derived foods

   Grammar Note

   "ne ... aucun" is emphatic negation; "végane" spelling also seen

3. Je suis allergique aux fruits à coque.

   I'm allergic to nuts.

   Usage

   Tree-nut allergy; peanuts are "arachides"

   Grammar Note

   "aux" is the contraction of "à + les"

4. Avez-vous un menu sans gluten ?

   Do you have a gluten-free menu?

   Usage

   Standard question for celiac/gluten intolerance

   Grammar Note

   Inverted question is formal; French uses a space before "?"

5. Je mange halal. Je ne mange pas de porc.

   I keep halal. I don't eat pork.

   Usage

   Declares Muslim observance

   Grammar Note

   In negation, partitive becomes just "de"

6. Je suis intolérant au lactose.

   I am lactose intolerant.

   Usage

   Declares lactose intolerance; women say "intolérante"

   Grammar Note

   "au" is the contraction "à + le"

7. Je suis allergique aux fruits de mer.

   I'm allergic to seafood.

   Usage

   Shellfish/seafood allergy; can be severe

   Grammar Note

   "poisson" (fish) is separate; mention both if applicable

8. Quels sont les ingrédients de ce plat ?

   What are the ingredients of this dish?

   Usage

   Polite ingredient-check question

   Grammar Note

   "Quels" agrees with masculine plural noun

9. Pouvez-vous le préparer sans oignons ?

   Can you prepare it without onions?

   Usage

   Request to omit an ingredient

   Grammar Note

   "le" is the object pronoun referring to the dish

10. J'ai une allergie aux œufs.

    I have an egg allergy.

    Usage

    Watch for hidden eggs in baked goods, pasta

    Grammar Note

    "œufs" plural pronounced /ø/; singular /œf/

11. Avez-vous une liste des allergènes ?

    Do you have an allergen list?

    Usage

    Mandatory in EU restaurants

    Grammar Note

    INCO Regulation (EU 1169/2011) mandates 14 allergen declarations

12. Cette allergie peut être mortelle. Soyez très prudent, s'il vous plaît.

    This allergy can be fatal. Please be very careful.

    Usage

    Communicates anaphylaxis risk

    Grammar Note

    "Soyez" is the formal imperative of "être"

13. Est-ce qu'il y a de l'huile d'arachide ?

    Is there peanut oil in it?

    Usage

    Important at Asian restaurants

    Grammar Note

    "Est-ce qu'..." is the standard polite question form

14. Utilisez-vous des ustensiles séparés pour les plats sans allergènes ?

    Do you use separate utensils for allergen-free dishes?

    Usage

    Checks cross-contamination control

    Grammar Note

    "contamination croisée" is the technical term

15. Merci de prendre en compte mes restrictions alimentaires.

    Thank you for accommodating my dietary restrictions.

    Usage

    Polite gratitude for accommodation

    Grammar Note

    "Merci de + infinitive" expresses thanks for an action

16. Pour des raisons religieuses, je ne mange pas de bœuf.

    For religious reasons I don't eat beef.

    Usage

    Explains religious avoidance of beef

    Grammar Note

    In negation, partitive "du" becomes "de"

17. le porc

    Pork

    Usage

    Point to this to ask whether the dish contains it — for allergies or religious restrictions

    Grammar Note

    Masculine noun; it is also present in ham, sausage, and other cured products

18. le bœuf

    Beef

    Usage

    Point to this to ask whether the dish contains it — for allergies or religious restrictions

    Grammar Note

    Masculine noun; "œ" is a single ligature and should not be written as "oe"

19. le poulet

    Chicken

    Usage

    Point to this to ask whether the dish contains it — for allergies or religious restrictions

20. le poisson

    Fish

    Usage

    Point to this to ask whether the dish contains it — for allergies or religious restrictions

    Grammar Note

    Masculine noun; watch for it in fish sauce and stocks too

21. l'œuf

    Egg

    Usage

    Point to this to ask whether the dish contains it — for allergies or religious restrictions

    Grammar Note

    Masculine noun elided to "l'"; the plural "les œufs" is pronounced differently from the singular

22. les produits laitiers

    Dairy products

    Usage

    Point to this to ask whether the dish contains it — for allergies or religious restrictions

    Grammar Note

    Masculine plural; milk itself is "le lait"

23. les arachides

    Peanuts

    Usage

    Point to this to check for peanuts; labels say "arachide", everyday speech says "cacahuètes"

24. les fruits à coque

    Tree nuts

    Usage

    The umbrella term for walnuts, almonds, and other tree nuts; peanuts are legumes and must be checked separately

25. les crustacés

    Crustaceans

    Usage

    Point to this to check for shrimp, crab, and other crustaceans

26. le blé

    Wheat

    Usage

    Point to this to check for wheat; gluten is "le gluten"

27. le soja

    Soy

    Usage

    Point to this to ask whether the dish contains it — for allergies or religious restrictions

    Grammar Note

    Masculine noun; soy sauce is "la sauce soja"

28. le sésame

    Sesame

    Usage

    Point to this to ask whether the dish contains it — for allergies or religious restrictions

29. l'alcool

    Alcohol

    Usage

    Point to this to check whether alcohol was used in cooking — relevant for religious rules and for medication

    Grammar Note

    Masculine noun elided to "l'"

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