Dietary & Allergies

1. Ja sam vegetarijanac.

   I am vegetarian.

   Usage

   Women say "vegetarijanka"

   Grammar Note

   Croatian uses copula "sam"

2. Ja sam vegan i ne jedem nikakve životinjske proizvode.

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

   Usage

   Avoids all animal-derived foods

   Grammar Note

   "nikakve" emphatic negative

3. Imam alergiju na orašaste plodove.

   I have a nut allergy.

   Usage

   Tree-nut allergy

   Grammar Note

   "na + accusative" = "to ~"

4. Imate li jelovnik bez glutena?

   Do you have a gluten-free menu?

   Usage

   Standard celiac question

   Grammar Note

   "li" is the yes/no question particle

5. Musliman sam i ne jedem svinjetinu.

   I'm Muslim and don't eat pork.

   Usage

   Declares Muslim observance

   Grammar Note

   Women say "Muslimanka"

6. Imam intoleranciju na laktozu.

   I am lactose intolerant.

   Usage

   Declares lactose intolerance

   Grammar Note

   Distinct from an allergy

7. Alergičan sam na školjke.

   I'm allergic to shellfish.

   Usage

   Mollusc allergy (školjke); shrimp and crab are rakovi

   Grammar Note

   Women say "Alergična"

8. Koji sastojci su u ovom jelu?

   What ingredients are in this dish?

   Usage

   Standard ingredient-check question

   Grammar Note

   "u + locative" = "in ~"

9. Možete li to pripremiti bez luka?

   Can you prepare it without onion?

   Usage

   Request to omit an ingredient

   Grammar Note

   "bez + genitive" = "without ~"

10. Imam alergiju na jaja.

    I have an egg allergy.

    Usage

    Watch for hidden eggs

    Grammar Note

    "jaje" sing., plural "jaja"

11. Imate li informacije o alergenima?

    Do you have allergen information?

    Usage

    Mandatory in EU restaurants

    Grammar Note

    "o + locative" = "about ~"

12. Ova alergija je opasna po život. Molim vas, budite vrlo oprezni.

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

    Usage

    Communicates anaphylaxis risk

    Grammar Note

    "budite" is plural imperative of "biti"

13. Sadrži li ovo ulje od kikirikija?

    Does this contain peanut oil?

    Usage

    Important at Asian restaurants

    Grammar Note

    "ulje od + genitive" expresses oil type

14. Koristite li odvojeno posuđe za jela bez alergena?

    Do you use separate utensils for allergen-free dishes?

    Usage

    Checks cross-contamination

    Grammar Note

    "posuđe" is a collective noun

15. Hvala što ste uzeli u obzir moje prehrambene potrebe.

    Thank you for considering my dietary needs.

    Usage

    Polite gratitude

    Grammar Note

    "Hvala što + verb" = "Thanks for ~ing"

16. Iz vjerskih razloga ne jedem govedinu.

    For religious reasons I don't eat beef.

    Usage

    Explains religious avoidance of beef

    Grammar Note

    "Iz + genitive" = "from / for ~"

17. Svinjetina

    Pork

    Usage

    Point to this to check whether a dish contains pork; Croatian cooking uses it heavily, including in cured ham (pršut) and sausage (kobasica)

    Grammar Note

    Feminine noun; the animal itself is "svinja"

18. Govedina

    Beef

    Usage

    Point to this to check for beef; veal is a separate word, "teletina"

    Grammar Note

    Feminine noun

19. Piletina

    Chicken

    Usage

    Point to this to check for chicken

    Grammar Note

    Feminine noun; the live bird is "pile" or "kokoš"

20. Riba

    Fish

    Usage

    Point to this to check for fish; anchovies (inćuni) are a common hidden ingredient in Croatian cooking

    Grammar Note

    Feminine noun

21. Jaja

    Eggs

    Usage

    Point to this to check for eggs

    Grammar Note

    Neuter plural; the singular is "jaje". As an ingredient the plural is the normal form

22. Mliječni proizvodi

    Dairy products

    Usage

    Point to this to check for dairy of any kind; milk alone is "mlijeko"

    Grammar Note

    Masculine plural. "Mlijeko" is the ijekavian form (Serbian: "mleko")

23. Kikiriki

    Peanuts

    Usage

    For checking a peanut allergy; peanut oil is "ulje od kikirikija"

    Grammar Note

    Masculine noun, used for both the nut and the collective

24. Orašasti plodovi

    Tree nuts

    Usage

    Covers tree nuts as a group — almond "badem", walnut "orah", hazelnut "lješnjak". Peanuts are not included; check for "kikiriki" separately

    Grammar Note

    Masculine plural; this is also the wording used in allergen labelling

25. Školjke i rakovi

    Shellfish and crustaceans

    Usage

    For a shellfish allergy. Croatian separates molluscs (školjke) from crustaceans (rakovi), so both are listed; Adriatic coastal cooking uses them constantly

26. Pšenica

    Wheat

    Usage

    Point to this to check for wheat; gluten is "gluten" and wheat flour "pšenično brašno"

    Grammar Note

    Feminine noun

27. Soja

    Soy

    Usage

    Point to this to check for soy; soy sauce is "umak od soje"

    Grammar Note

    Feminine noun

28. Sezam

    Sesame

    Usage

    Point to this to check for sesame; it turns up most often on bread and burger buns

    Grammar Note

    Masculine noun; sesame seeds are "sezamovo sjeme"

29. Alkohol

    Alcohol

    Usage

    Point to this to check whether a dish contains alcohol — for religious, medical, or medication reasons; "bez alkohola" means alcohol-free

    Grammar Note

    Masculine noun; wine-braised dishes and ones finished with rakija are common

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