Dietary & Allergies

1. Sou vegetariano.

   I am vegetarian.

   Usage

   Declares vegetarianism; women say "vegetariana"

   Grammar Note

   Adjectives agree in gender and number

2. Sou vegano. Não como nenhum produto animal.

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

   Usage

   Avoids all animal-derived foods

   Grammar Note

   "nenhum" with "não" forms emphatic double negation

3. Tenho alergia a castanhas e nozes.

   I have a nut allergy.

   Usage

   Tree-nut allergy in general; add amêndoas, avelãs, pistácios, castanha de caju if you need to be specific. Peanut is amendoim, a separate allergen

   Grammar Note

   Do NOT use "frutos secos". It reads as tree nuts in Portugal, but in Brazil "frutos secos" means dried fruit (raisins, dried apricots), which would let nuts read as safe. This card uses the listed form "castanhas e nozes". The statutory umbrella term is "frutos de casca rija" (amêndoas, avelãs, nozes, castanhas de caju, nozes pécan, castanhas do Brasil, pistácios, nozes de macadâmia); that is what appears on allergen labelling in Portugal

4. Tem um menu sem glúten?

   Do you have a gluten-free menu?

   Usage

   Standard celiac question

   Grammar Note

   "Tem" addresses "você" (third-person sing.)

5. Sou muçulmano e não como carne de porco.

   I'm Muslim and don't eat pork.

   Usage

   Explains Muslim observance

   Grammar Note

   Women say "muçulmana"

6. Sou intolerante à lactose.

   I am lactose intolerant.

   Usage

   Declares lactose intolerance

   Grammar Note

   "à" is the contraction "a + a" (crase)

7. Sou alérgico a marisco.

   I'm allergic to shellfish.

   Usage

   Shellfish/seafood allergy

   Grammar Note

   In Brazil "frutos do mar" is more common

8. Quais ingredientes tem este prato?

   What ingredients does this dish have?

   Usage

   Standard ingredient-check question

   Grammar Note

   "Quais" is the plural interrogative

9. Pode prepará-lo sem cebola?

   Can you prepare it without onion?

   Usage

   Request to omit an ingredient

   Grammar Note

   Pronoun "lo" attaches to infinitive, dropping final "r"

10. Tenho alergia a ovo.

    I have an egg allergy.

    Usage

    Watch for hidden eggs

    Grammar Note

    "a + noun" specifies the allergen

11. Tem informação sobre alergénios?

    Do you have allergen information?

    Usage

    Mandatory in EU restaurants

    Grammar Note

    Brazilian spelling: "alérgenos"

12. Esta alergia pode ser fatal. Por favor, tenham muito cuidado.

    This allergy can be fatal. Please be very careful.

    Usage

    Communicates anaphylaxis risk

    Grammar Note

    "tenham" is third-person plural imperative of "ter"

13. Tem óleo de amendoim?

    Does it have peanut oil?

    Usage

    Important at Asian restaurants

    Grammar Note

    "Tem" expresses "has/there is"

14. Usam utensílios separados para pratos sem alergénios?

    Do you use separate utensils for allergen-free dishes?

    Usage

    Checks cross-contamination

    Grammar Note

    "contaminação cruzada" is the technical term

15. Obrigado por se adaptar às minhas necessidades alimentares.

    Thank you for adapting to my dietary needs.

    Usage

    Polite gratitude; women say "Obrigada"

    Grammar Note

    "Obrigado"/"Obrigada" depends on speaker's gender

16. Por motivos religiosos não como carne de vaca.

    For religious reasons I don't eat beef.

    Usage

    Explains religious avoidance of beef

    Grammar Note

    In Brazil "carne bovina" is also common

17. a carne de porco

    Pork

    Usage

    Point to it to check whether a dish contains pork; ham and sausages ("presunto", "chouriço", "linguiça") count as pork too

18. a carne de vaca

    Beef

    Usage

    Point to it to check for beef; Brazil also says "carne bovina" or "carne de boi", and plain "carne" usually means beef there

19. o frango

    Chicken

    Usage

    Point to it to check for chicken; "a galinha" means hen and shows up on stew menus

20. o peixe

    Fish

    Usage

    Point to it to check for fish, including fish used in stocks and sauces such as "bacalhau"

21. o ovo

    Egg

    Usage

    Point to it to check for egg, which also hides in mayonnaise and pastries such as "pastel de nata"

22. os laticínios

    Dairy products

    Usage

    Covers all dairy; Portugal spells it "lacticínios", with an extra "c"

23. o amendoim

    Peanut

    Usage

    The first word to point to for a severe allergy; identical in Portugal and Brazil and unambiguous

24. as castanhas e nozes

    Tree nuts

    Usage

    Almonds, cashews, walnuts and the like. Portugal calls these "frutos secos", but in Brazil "frutos secos" means dried fruit, so this listed form is used instead

25. os mariscos

    Shellfish

    Usage

    Prawns, crab and molluscs; "frutos do mar" also covers fish, so use "marisco" when you mean shellfish only

26. o trigo

    Wheat

    Usage

    Point to it to check for gluten; pair it with "sem glúten"

27. a soja

    Soy

    Usage

    Point to it to check for soy; soy sauce is "o molho de soja"

28. o gergelim

    Sesame

    Usage

    Point to it to check for sesame; Portugal says "o sésamo"

29. o álcool

    Alcohol

    Usage

    Use it in a restaurant to ask whether a dish contains alcohol; at a pharmacy the same word means rubbing alcohol. Alcoholic drinks are "as bebidas alcoólicas"

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