Saying what you cannot eat

1. 1
   allergy/ˈælərdʒi/

   noun

   A bad reaction of the body to a particular food.
2. 2
   allergic/əˈlɜːrdʒɪk/

   adjective

   Reacting badly to something.
3. 3
   nut/nʌt/

   noun

   A hard dry seed you can eat.
4. 4
   dairy/ˈderi/

   noun

   Milk, cheese, butter and the rest.
5. 5
   gluten/ˈɡluːtən/

   noun

   A protein in wheat that some people cannot eat.
6. 6
   avoid/əˈvɔɪd/

   verb

   To keep away from something.
7. 7
   contain/kənˈteɪn/

   verb

   To have something inside it.
8. 8
   ingredient/ˌɪnˈɡriːdiənt/

   noun

   One of the things a dish is made from.
9. 9
   serious/ˈsɪriəs/

   adjective

   Bad enough to matter a great deal.
10. 10
    kitchen/ˈkɪtʃən/

    noun

    Where the food is cooked.

The sentences

1. I have an allergy I should mention.

2. I am allergic to nut of any kind.

3. Does the sauce have any nut in it?

4. I try to avoid dairy completely.

5. Is there a gluten free option here?

6. I need to avoid butter and cream.

7. Does that dish contain anything fried?

8. Could you check every ingredient for me?

9. It is serious, not just a preference.

10. Could you ask the kitchen to be careful?

Pronunciation

• allergy/ˈælərdʒi/

  Stress the first syllable and the G is soft: AL-er-jy.

• allergic/əˈlɜːrdʒɪk/

  The stress moves to the second syllable: a-LER-jic.

• dairy/ˈderi/

  It sounds like the name Derry, not like diary.

• gluten/ˈɡluːtən/

  Two syllables: GLOO-ten.

• avoid/əˈvɔɪd/

  Stress the second syllable: a-VOID.

• contain/kənˈteɪn/

  Stress the second syllable: con-TAIN.

• ingredient/ˌɪnˈɡriːdiənt/

  Stress the second syllable: in-GREE-dient.

Questions

What do I say if the sauce might have nuts in it?

You can ask 'Does the sauce have any nut in it?'

What does 'contain' mean here?

It means to have something inside, as in 'Does that dish contain anything fried?'

How do I make clear it's not just a preference?

You can say 'It is serious, not just a preference.'