Dietary & Allergies

1. Jeg er vegetar.

   I am vegetarian.

   Usage

   Declares vegetarianism

   Grammar Note

   Danish is gender-neutral here

2. Jeg er veganer og spiser ingen animalske produkter.

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

   Usage

   Avoids all animal-derived foods

   Grammar Note

   "ingen" is the negative adjective

3. Jeg er allergisk over for nødder.

   I'm allergic to nuts.

   Usage

   Tree-nut allergy

   Grammar Note

   "over for + noun" pattern

4. Har I en glutenfri menu?

   Do you have a gluten-free menu?

   Usage

   Standard celiac question

   Grammar Note

   "I" (capitalized) is 2nd-person plural

5. Jeg er muslim og spiser ikke svinekød.

   I'm Muslim and don't eat pork.

   Usage

   Declares Muslim observance

   Grammar Note

   Compound "svine + kød"

6. Jeg er laktoseintolerant.

   I am lactose intolerant.

   Usage

   Declares lactose intolerance

   Grammar Note

   Compound "laktose + intolerant"

7. Jeg er allergisk over for skaldyr.

   I'm allergic to shellfish.

   Usage

   Shellfish allergy

   Grammar Note

   Compound "skal + dyr"

8. Hvilke ingredienser er der i denne ret?

   What ingredients are in this dish?

   Usage

   Standard ingredient-check question

   Grammar Note

   "der" is an expletive (similar to "there")

9. Kan I lave den uden løg?

   Can you make it without onion?

   Usage

   Request to omit an ingredient

   Grammar Note

   "den" is the common-gender definite pronoun

10. Jeg er allergisk over for æg.

    I'm allergic to eggs.

    Usage

    Watch for hidden eggs

    Grammar Note

    "æg" is invariant in number

11. Har I information om allergener?

    Do you have allergen information?

    Usage

    Mandatory in EU restaurants

    Grammar Note

    "om + noun" = "about ~"

12. Denne allergi er livstruende. Vær venligst meget forsigtige.

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

    Usage

    Communicates anaphylaxis risk

    Grammar Note

    "Vær venligst" politely prefaces a request

13. Indeholder dette jordnøddeolie?

    Does this contain peanut oil?

    Usage

    Important at Asian restaurants

    Grammar Note

    Compound "jord + nødde + olie"

14. Bruger I separat udstyr til allergenfrie retter?

    Do you use separate equipment for allergen-free dishes?

    Usage

    Checks cross-contamination

    Grammar Note

    "-fri" ("-free") takes the plural form "-frie" before a plural noun (allergenfrie retter)

15. Tak fordi I tager hensyn til mine kostbehov.

    Thank you for accommodating my dietary needs.

    Usage

    Polite gratitude

    Grammar Note

    "Tak fordi + clause" = "Thanks for ~ing"

16. Af religiøse grunde spiser jeg ikke oksekød.

    For religious reasons I don't eat beef.

    Usage

    Explains religious avoidance of beef

    Grammar Note

    V2 word order: verb in second position

17. svinekød

    Pork

    Usage

    Point at this to check whether a dish contains pork; ham is "skinke", bacon is "bacon", minced pork is "hakket svinekød"

    Grammar Note

    Neuter, definite "svinekødet"; a compound of "svin" (pig) + "kød" (meat). Pork is central to Danish cooking and turns up in dishes that do not name it

18. oksekød

    Beef

    Usage

    Point at this to check for beef; a beef patty is "hakkebøf", and Danish meatballs ("frikadeller") are usually a pork-and-beef mix

    Grammar Note

    Neuter, definite "oksekødet"; a compound of "okse" (ox) + "kød" (meat)

19. kylling

    Chicken

    Usage

    Point at this to check for chicken; the meat is "kyllingekød", duck is "and", turkey is "kalkun"

    Grammar Note

    Common gender, definite "kyllingen"; the same word also names the live bird

20. fisk

    Fish

    Usage

    Point at this to check for fish; Danish starters often feature fish and pickled herring ("sild")

    Grammar Note

    Common gender, definite "fisken", plural also "fisk"

21. æg

    Egg

    Usage

    Point at this to check for egg; mayonnaise and the Danish condiment "remoulade" both contain it

    Grammar Note

    Neuter, definite "ægget", plural also "æg"; never rewrite "æ" as "ae"

22. mejeriprodukter

    Dairy products

    Usage

    Point at this to check for dairy; milk is "mælk", butter is "smør", cream is "fløde"

    Grammar Note

    Used in the plural (singular "et mejeriprodukt"), definite "mejeriprodukterne"; lactose intolerant is "laktoseintolerant"

23. jordnødder

    Peanuts

    Usage

    Point at this to declare a peanut allergy; everyday Danish also says "peanuts", and peanut butter is "peanutbutter"

    Grammar Note

    Used in the plural (singular "en jordnød"); peanuts are not tree nuts, so show both cards if you react to both

24. nødder

    Tree nuts

    Usage

    Point at this to declare a tree-nut allergy; almonds are "mandler", hazelnuts "hasselnødder", walnuts "valnødder"

    Grammar Note

    Used in the plural (singular "en nød"); peanuts ("jordnødder") are legumes and count separately

25. skaldyr

    Shellfish

    Usage

    Point at this to declare a shellfish allergy — the word menus use; prawns are "rejer", crab "krabbe", mussels "muslinger"

    Grammar Note

    Neuter, definite "skaldyret", plural also "skaldyr". EU allergen labelling splits crustaceans ("krebsdyr") from molluscs ("bløddyr"), but everyday "skaldyr" covers both

26. hvede

    Wheat

    Usage

    Point at this to declare a wheat allergy; gluten is "gluten", wheat flour is "hvedemel", and Danish rye bread ("rugbrød") usually contains some wheat too

    Grammar Note

    Common gender, definite "hveden"

27. soja

    Soy

    Usage

    Point at this to declare a soy allergy; soy sauce is "sojasauce" and soy milk is "sojamælk"

    Grammar Note

    Common gender, definite "sojaen"; the beans themselves are "sojabønner"

28. sesam

    Sesame

    Usage

    Point at this to declare a sesame allergy; the seeds are "sesamfrø" and turn up on bread and in hummus

    Grammar Note

    Common gender, definite "sesamen"; ingredient lists usually write "sesamfrø"

29. alkohol

    Alcohol

    Usage

    Point at this to check whether a dish contains alcohol; "alcohol-free" is "alkoholfri". Sauces and desserts often carry wine or liqueur

    Grammar Note

    Common gender, definite "alkoholen"

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