Dietary & Allergies

1. እኔ ቬጀቴሪያን ነኝ።

   Ene vejeteriyan negn.

   I am vegetarian.

   Usage

   Basic way to declare you don't eat meat

   Grammar Note

   "Negn" is the 1st-person singular copula "am"

2. እኔ ቪጋን ነኝ፣ ምንም የእንስሳት ምርት አልመገብም።

   Ene vigan negn, minim ye'insisat mirt almegebim.

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

   Usage

   Use when avoiding all animal-derived foods

   Grammar Note

   "al-…-m" forms negative verbs

3. የለውዝ አለርጂ አለብኝ።

   Yelewz alerji alebign.

   I have a nut allergy.

   Usage

   Declares a nut allergy. ለውዝ is usually heard as including peanuts, so if you need tree nuts specifically, add the species: ካሸው ለውዝ (cashew), አልመንድ (almond)

   Grammar Note

   "alebign" expresses possessive "I have". ለውዝ is a correct umbrella term, but on its own it is most often heard as "peanut". Example: "«ለውዝ» ብዙ ጊዜ ኦቾሎኒ ማለት ሲሆን…" ("ለውዝ often means ኦቾሎኒ, i.e. peanut"). It does also work as a superordinate — as in "ኦቾሎኒና ሌላ ለውዝ አይነቶች" ("peanuts and other kinds of ለውዝ") and "ካሸው ለውዝ (Anacardium occidentale)". To name peanut unambiguously, use ኦቾሎኒ

4. ግሉተን የሌለው ምግብ አለ?

   Gluten yelelew migib ale?

   Do you have gluten-free food?

   Usage

   For celiac or gluten-intolerance

   Grammar Note

   "yelelew" forms a relative clause "that doesn't have"

5. ሃላል ብቻ ነው የምበላው፣ የአሳማ ሥጋ አልበላም።

   Halal bicha new yemibelaw, ye'asama siga albelam.

   I only eat halal; I don't eat pork.

   Usage

   Explains Muslim dietary rules

   Grammar Note

   "bicha" means "only"

6. ላክቶስ መፈጨት አልችልም።

   Laktos mefechet alichilim.

   I can't digest lactose.

   Usage

   Explaining lactose intolerance

   Grammar Note

   "alichilim" = "I cannot"

7. የባህር ምግብ አለርጂ አለብኝ።

   Yebahir migib alerji alebign.

   I have a seafood allergy.

   Usage

   When you must avoid fish/shellfish

   Grammar Note

   "yebahir" = "of the sea" (genitive)

8. ይህ ምግብ ምን ይዟል?

   Yih migib min yizoal?

   What's in this dish?

   Usage

   Basic question to check ingredients

   Grammar Note

   "min yizoal" asks "what does it contain"

9. ያለ ሽንኩርት ማድረግ ይቻላል?

   Yale shinkurt madreg yichalal?

   Can you make it without onion?

   Usage

   When asking to omit a specific ingredient

   Grammar Note

   "yale + noun" = "without [noun]"

10. የእንቁላል አለርጂ አለብኝ።

    Ye'inkulal alerji alebign.

    I have an egg allergy.

    Usage

    To avoid egg-containing dishes

    Grammar Note

    "ye-" prefix marks the genitive

11. አለርጂ ያስከትላሉ የሚባሉ ምግቦች ዝርዝር አለ?

    Alerji yasketelalu yemibalu migiboch zirzir ale?

    Do you have an allergen list?

    Usage

    Request an allergen list at a restaurant

    Grammar Note

    "yemibalu" = "that are called"

12. ይህ ለሕይወቴ አደገኛ አለርጂ ነው።

    Yih lehiywote adeegegna alerji new.

    This is a life-threatening allergy.

    Usage

    Warn about severe (anaphylactic) allergy

    Grammar Note

    "lehiywote" = "to my life"

13. ይህ ቅመም ይዟል?

    Yih kimem yizoal?

    Does this contain spices?

    Usage

    Check for spiciness or spices

    Grammar Note

    "yizoal" is 3sg.m present tense

14. ምግቡ ከሌላ ምግብ ጋር ሊቀላቀል ይችላል?

    Migibu kelela migib gar likelekal yichilal?

    Could it be cross-contaminated?

    Usage

    Check for cross-contamination risk in the kitchen

    Grammar Note

    "li-" prefix = potential mood "may"

15. ስለ መረዳትዎ አመሰግናለሁ።

    Sile meredatewo amesegnalehu.

    Thank you for your understanding.

    Usage

    Thank someone for accommodating you

    Grammar Note

    "-wo" is the polite 2nd-person possessive suffix

16. እኔ ሥጋ መብላት አልችልም።

    Ene siga mebilat alichilim.

    I can't eat meat.

    Usage

    Simply state you can't eat meat

    Grammar Note

    Infinitive + "alichilim" = "cannot eat"

17. የአሳማ ሥጋ

    ye'asama siga

    Pork

    Usage

    For religious dietary restrictions — point and ask if it is in the dish

18. የበሬ ሥጋ

    yebere siga

    Beef

    Usage

    Point at it to check what is in a dish

19. የዶሮ ሥጋ

    yedoro siga

    Chicken

    Usage

    Point at it to check what is in a dish

20. ዓሳ

    asa

    Fish

    Usage

    For allergies and for checking fasting menus

21. እንቁላል

    inkulal

    Egg

    Usage

    A very common allergen to check for

22. የወተት ተዋጽኦ

    yewetet tewatsi'o

    Dairy products

    Usage

    For lactose intolerance and dairy allergies

23. ኦቾሎኒ

    ocholoni

    Peanut

    Usage

    Distinct from lewz (tree nuts); use this one to mean peanut specifically

24. ለውዝ

    lewz

    Tree nuts

    Usage

    Almonds and other tree nuts; peanut is ocholoni

25. ሽሪምፕ

    shirimp

    Shrimp / crustaceans

    Usage

    There is no common word for crustaceans as a group, so shrimp stands in

26. ስንዴ

    sinde

    Wheat

    Usage

    For gluten checks: injera is teff-based but is often mixed with wheat

27. አኩሪ አተር

    akuri ater

    Soybean

    Usage

    For checking a soy allergy

28. ሰሊጥ

    selit

    Sesame

    Usage

    For checking a sesame allergy

29. አልኮል

    alkol

    Alcohol

    Usage

    For checking whether a dish contains alcohol

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