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Dining ⑤ — Allergies & Dietary Restrictions过敏与忌口

LESSON
50

01The Scene

Checking for allergies and foods a guest cannot eat is a safety-critical moment. Be ready to say — accurately — "Do you have any allergies?", "I can't eat …", and "Does this dish contain …?"

02Service Phrases

1
您nín有yǒu食物shíwù过敏guòmǐn吗ma?
Do you have any food allergies?
2
您nín有yǒu没méi有yǒu不bù能néng吃chī的de东西dōngxi?
Is there anything you can't eat?
3
我wǒ对duì鸡蛋jīdàn过敏guòmǐn。
I'm allergic to eggs. (Customer)
4
这zhè道dào菜cài里lǐ有yǒu鸡蛋jīdàn吗ma?
Does this dish contain egg? (Customer)
5
这zhè个ge我wǒ不bù能néng吃chī。
I can't eat this. (Customer)
6
这zhè道dào菜cài里lǐ没méi有yǒu花生huāshēng。
This dish contains no peanuts.
7
我wǒ帮bāng您nín问wèn一下yíxià厨房chúfáng。
Let me check with the kitchen for you.

03Sample Dialogue

SCENE Checking for an allergy
顾客gùkèCustomer
我wǒ对duì鸡蛋jīdàn过敏guòmǐn。这zhè道dào菜cài里lǐ有yǒu鸡蛋jīdàn吗ma?
店员diànyuánStaff
请qǐng稍shāo等děng,我wǒ帮bāng您nín问wèn一下yíxià厨房chúfáng。
店员diànyuánStaff
这zhè道dào菜cài里lǐ没méi有yǒu鸡蛋jīdàn。
顾客gùkèCustomer
谢谢xièxie。

04Key Vocabulary

1
过敏guòmǐnto be allergic; allergy
2
食物shíwùfood
3
鸡蛋jīdànegg
4
花生huāshēngpeanut
5
厨房chúfángkitchen
6
不能bùnéngcannot (Lesson 17 — review)

05Today's Grammar Point

Today's Grammar Point

对…过敏, 不能吃, and …里有…吗 — the language of guest safety

When checking for allergies, accuracy is everything. Master these three patterns.

① 对…过敏 (to be allergic to …)

The preposition 对duì ("to / toward," Lesson 18) + noun + 过敏guòmǐn. 我wǒ对duì鸡蛋jīdàn过敏guòmǐn (I'm allergic to eggs).

② 不能吃 (cannot eat) — the negative of 能

能néng (Lesson 17) is negated as 不bù能néng + verb: "cannot eat …."

③ …里有…吗? (Does … contain …?)

The location word 里 ("inside") + 有 asks whether something is in a dish: 这zhè道dào菜cài里lǐ有yǒu…吗ma? To answer no, say 里lǐ没méi有yǒu….

Caution: allergies are a matter of guest safety. If you are not sure, always check with the kitchen (我帮您问一下厨房). You may state facts such as "this dish contains no …," but because of shared cookware and possible cross-contamination, it is safest never to flatly declare "you can eat this."
Service tip: Before taking the order, ask 您有没有不能吃的东西? or 您有食物过敏吗? If you can't confirm on the spot, say 请稍等,我去问一下 and go find out.

06Practice

  1. Check for allergies by asking "您nín有yǒu过敏guòmǐn吗ma?"
  2. Practice saying "对〇〇过敏" and "不能吃〇〇" with different foods.
  3. Practice answering "这道菜里有〇〇吗?" with 有 / 没有.

07Reference Translation

Sample Dialogue — Reference Translation

CustomerI'm allergic to eggs. Does this dish contain egg?
StaffOne moment, please — let me check with the kitchen for you.
StaffThis dish contains no egg. (If cross-contamination is a concern, double-check with the kitchen.)
CustomerThank you.
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