Dietary & Allergies

1. Jien veġetarjan.

   I am vegetarian.

   Usage

   Women say "veġetarjana"

   Grammar Note

   Maltese mixes Semitic and Romance elements

2. Jien vegan u ma niekol l-ebda prodott tal-annimali.

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

   Usage

   Avoids all animal-derived foods

   Grammar Note

   "l-ebda" emphatic negation

3. Għandi allerġija għall-ġewż, il-lewż u l-ġellewż.

   I have a nut allergy.

   Usage

   Declares a tree-nut allergy by listing the species. Peanut (karawett) is a separate allergen

   Grammar Note

   "Għandi" = "I have"; "għall-" = preposition + definite article. All three are collective nouns; the singulative adds -a (ġewża = one walnut). Do NOT use ġewż alone — it is walnut. It does form compounds (ġewż tal-Indi = coconut), but lewż (almond) and ġellewż (hazelnut) are separate lexemes, not compounds of it, so ġewż alone would let them read as safe. Hence the enumeration.

4. Għandkom menu mingħajr glutina?

   Do you have a gluten-free menu?

   Usage

   Standard celiac question

   Grammar Note

   "Għandkom" is 2nd-person plural possessive

5. Jien Musulman u ma niekolx laħam tal-majjal.

   I'm Muslim and don't eat pork.

   Usage

   Declares Muslim observance

   Grammar Note

   "ma ... x" forms Semitic-style negation

6. Għandi intolleranza għall-lattożju.

   I am lactose intolerant.

   Usage

   Declares lactose intolerance

   Grammar Note

   Italian-origin vocabulary

7. Għandi allerġija għall-frott tal-baħar.

   I have a seafood allergy.

   Usage

   Seafood allergy

   Grammar Note

   Calque of Italian "frutti di mare"

8. X'inhuma l-ingredjenti f'dan il-platt?

   What are the ingredients in this dish?

   Usage

   Standard ingredient-check question

   Grammar Note

   "X'inhuma" = "what are"

9. Tistgħu tagħmluh mingħajr basal?

   Can you make it without onion?

   Usage

   Request to omit an ingredient

   Grammar Note

   "Tistgħu" is 2nd-person plural "can"

10. Għandi allerġija għall-bajd.

    I have an egg allergy.

    Usage

    Watch for hidden eggs

    Grammar Note

    From Arabic "bayḍ"

11. Għandkom informazzjoni dwar l-allerġeni?

    Do you have allergen information?

    Usage

    Mandatory in EU restaurants

    Grammar Note

    "dwar + noun" = "about ~"

12. Din l-allerġija hija ta' periklu għall-ħajja. Jekk jogħġobkom, oqogħdu attenti ħafna.

    This allergy is life-threatening. Please be very careful.

    Usage

    Communicates anaphylaxis risk

    Grammar Note

    "Jekk jogħġobkom" = "please" (pl.)

13. Fih żejt tal-karawett?

    Does it contain peanut oil?

    Usage

    Important at Asian restaurants

    Grammar Note

    "żejt" from Arabic

14. Tużaw għodda separati għall-platti mingħajr allerġeni?

    Do you use separate tools for allergen-free dishes?

    Usage

    Checks cross-contamination

    Grammar Note

    "separati" borrowed from Italian

15. Grazzi talli ħadtu ħsieb il-bżonnijiet tad-dieta tiegħi.

    Thank you for taking care of my dietary needs.

    Usage

    Polite gratitude

    Grammar Note

    "talli" = "for ~ing"

16. Għal raġunijiet reliġjużi, ma niekolx ċanga.

    For religious reasons, I don't eat beef.

    Usage

    Explains religious avoidance of beef

    Grammar Note

    "Għal + noun" = "for ~"

17. laħam tal-majjal

    Pork

    Usage

    Point at it to check for an allergy or a religious restriction

18. ċanga

    Beef

    Usage

    Point at it to check whether a dish contains it

19. tiġieġ

    Chicken

    Usage

    Point at it to check whether a dish contains it

20. ħut

    Fish

    Usage

    Point at it to check for an allergy or to order

21. bajd

    Egg

    Usage

    Point at it to check for an allergy

22. prodotti tal-ħalib

    Dairy products

    Usage

    Point at it to check for an allergy

23. karawett

    Peanut

    Usage

    A common anaphylaxis trigger; always check

24. ġewż, lewż, ġellewż

    Tree nuts

    Usage

    Walnut, almond, hazelnut. A common anaphylaxis trigger, so always check. Note that ġewż alone is walnut — lewż and ġellewż are separate lexemes, not compounds of it, so do not say ġewż alone and expect it to cover the category

25. krustaċji

    Crustaceans

    Usage

    A common anaphylaxis trigger; always check

26. qamħ

    Wheat

    Usage

    Point at it to check for gluten

27. sojja

    Soy

    Usage

    Point at it to check for an allergy

28. ġunġlien

    Sesame

    Usage

    Point at it to check for an allergy

29. alkoħol

    Alcohol

    Usage

    For checking whether a dish contains alcohol

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