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Food allergies in French: state the allergy and ask staff to check

Edited by Chris Lee · Updated · About the library

Say which ingredient you are allergic to in French, ask about a dish or sauce and follow the staff’s reply. Picture vocabulary and a phrasebook for A2.

In short

State the allergy directly: Je suis allergique aux arachides. Ask about the specific food: Est-ce que cette sauce contient des arachides ? Pouvez-vous vérifier en cuisine ? If the answer is still pending, say J’attends votre réponse avant de commander.

Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn

Name the ingredient precisely

1

Say the allergy before ordering

Use the ingredient’s exact name.

YouAvant de commander, je dois vous préciser que je suis allergique aux arachides.Before ordering, I need to tell you that I am allergic to peanuts.
Restaurant staffMerci de nous le préciser. Quel plat souhaitez-vous prendre ?Thank you for telling us. Which dish would you like?
YouJe pensais prendre le poulet en sauce. Est-ce que la sauce contient des arachides ?I was thinking of having the chicken in sauce. Does the sauce contain peanuts?
Restaurant staffJe vais vérifier en cuisine.I’ll check with the kitchen.
2

Ask about the preparation as well

These lines focus the question on the named ingredient and dish.

YouPouvez-vous aussi vérifier la préparation du plat ?Can you also check how the dish is prepared?
YouEst-ce que ce plat peut entrer en contact avec des arachides pendant la préparation ?Could this dish come into contact with peanuts during preparation?
Restaurant staffJe vais poser la question au cuisinier.I’ll ask the cook.
YouMerci, j’attends votre réponse avant de commander.Thank you, I’ll wait for your answer before ordering.
3

Understand a reply that leaves the question open

The kitchen has not been able to confirm the preparation details.

Restaurant staffLe cuisinier ne peut pas confirmer l’absence de contact avec des arachides.The cook cannot confirm the absence of contact with peanuts.
YouD’accord, je ne vais pas commander ce plat.All right, I won’t order this dish.
Restaurant staffSouhaitez-vous encore regarder la carte ?Would you like to look at the menu a little longer?
YouOui, merci. Je vais prendre un moment.Yes, thank you. I’ll take a moment.

How do you explain a food allergy in French?

Allergique à + the ingredient
IngredientSentence
les arachidesJe suis allergique aux arachides.
les amandesJe suis allergique aux amandes.
le laitJe suis allergique au lait.
les œufsJe suis allergique aux œufs.
la moutardeJe suis allergique à la moutarde.

À + le becomes au; à + les becomes aux. Allergique has the same written form for a man or a woman. Les arachides means peanuts, les amandes means almonds and les noix means walnuts: keep the name specific.

A preference, a check and an answer

Je n’aime pas les arachides.I don’t like peanuts.

Focus: A food preference

Je préfère une autre sauce.
I prefer a different sauce.

Je suis allergique aux arachides.I’m allergic to peanuts.

Focus: An explicit allergy statement

Pouvez-vous vérifier si cette sauce en contient ?
Can you check whether this sauce contains any?

Question 1No account needed
Which sentence explicitly states an allergy?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

Je suis allergique aux amandes.. Je suis allergique à… states an allergy; the other sentences express preferences.

Question 2No account needed
Complete the sentence.Je suis allergique ___ lait.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

au. Lait is masculine singular: à + le becomes au.

Question 3No account needed
What does Je vais vérifier en cuisine tell you?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

The staff member is going to check.. Je vais vérifier announces the next check; the ingredient answer is still pending.

Question 4No account needed
Which question specifically concerns the sauce?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

Est-ce que cette sauce contient des arachides ?. The question names both the sauce and the ingredient to be checked.

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