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Lesson 58 of 240

New here? This is lesson 58 of a free 240-lesson German course.

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Food I can't eat in German

Priya wants a filled roll at Bäckerei Krause, but she needs to know what is in it.

Renate is at the counter. Anton is at the corner table with a Pfannkuchen and his unfinished Milchkaffee.

By the end, you'll say what you cannot eat, ask if something has an ingredient, and name a nut allergy.

Keep it short at the counter. Renate will answer in four words.

By the end of this lesson

Say what you don't eat, and ask if something has an ingredient.

  • Ich kann ___ nicht essen.I can't eat ___.
  • Ist da ___ drin?Does it have ___ in it?
  • Ich esse vegetarisch.I'm vegetarian.
  • Ist das vegan?Is this vegan?
  • Ich bin allergisch gegen Nüsse.I'm allergic to nuts.
  • Hast du etwas Vegetarisches?Have you got anything vegetarian?

Scene — the filled roll

Priya is back at Bäckerei Krause. The filled rolls sit on the shelf, and she is not sure what is in them.

Renate waits at the counter. Anton sits on two chairs with a Pfannkuchen he might offer.

Priya hesitates by the filled-roll shelf while Renate waits at the counter and Anton sits with a Pfannkuchen.

Learn — food you cannot eat

Six lines cover what you cannot eat, a vegetarian order, a vegan check, and a nut allergy.

You also learn how to ask if something has an ingredient in it.

  1. Priya studies the filling in a roll with a thoughtful, uncertain expression.

    Ich kann ___ nicht essen.

    I can't eat ___.

    When to use it: Say this when a food is not possible for you.

    Learn it as one piece when a food is off limits.

    Say it: Nicht uses the soft ch, as in ich, not ach.

  2. Priya points to one filled roll in the glass case while Renate looks on from the counter.

    Ist da ___ drin?

    Does it have ___ in it?

    When to use it: Ask this to check if a food has an ingredient.

    Learn it as one piece to check what is inside.

  3. Priya gestures to herself as she explains her food choice to Renate.

    Ich esse vegetarisch.

    I'm vegetarian.

    When to use it: Say this when you eat no meat or fish.

    Learn it as one piece to say you skip meat.

  4. Anton offers Priya a jam doughnut as she leans closer to inspect it.

    Ist das vegan?

    Is this vegan?

    When to use it: Ask this to check if a food is fully plant-based.

    Learn it as one piece for a plant-only check.

  5. Priya raises an open palm near a nut-topped pastry while Anton watches.

    Ich bin allergisch gegen Nüsse.

    I'm allergic to nuts.

    When to use it: Say this so staff know nuts are not safe for you.

    Learn it as one piece for a nut allergy.

    Say it: Nüsse has a rounded ü, with the lips pushed forward.

  6. A nut-topped pastry and Anton's full Milchkaffee fill the foreground as Anton nods to Priya in the background.

    Hast du etwas Vegetarisches?

    Have you got anything vegetarian?

    When to use it: Ask a friend or Renate for a vegetarian option.

    Learn it as one piece when you want a meat-free option.

Story — meat in it

Watch Priya check a filled roll at the counter. She needs a clear answer before she orders.

The highlighted words are the lines you just learned. Turn on Show English if you need it.

  1. The filled rolls sit on the shelf. Priya points.
  2. PriyaEin belegtes Brötchen, bitte.A filled roll, please.
  3. She looks at the filling and waits.
  4. PriyaIst da Fleisch drin?Does it have meat in it?
  5. RenateJa, da ist Fleisch.Yes, there is meat.
  6. PriyaIch kann Fleisch nicht essen.I can't eat meat.
  7. RenateAch so.Ah, I see.
  8. PriyaIch esse vegetarisch.I'm vegetarian.
  9. Renate wipes her hands and waits.
  10. PriyaHast du etwas Vegetarisches?Have you got anything vegetarian?
  11. RenateJa, mit Käse.Yes, with cheese.
  12. AntonNimm den Pfannkuchen.Take the jam doughnut.
  13. PriyaIst das vegan?Is this vegan?
  14. AntonDas weiß ich nicht.I don't know.
  15. PriyaIch bin allergisch gegen Nüsse.I'm allergic to nuts.
  16. Anton nods. His Milchkaffee is still full.

Practice — inside or not

Eleven short exercises wait here. You will listen, pick, match, fill a gap, and build a line.

They stay small, so the round moves fast.

0 of 11 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. Match the pairs

    German

    Ich esse vegetarisch.Drop the English here
    Ist das vegan?Drop the English here
    Ich bin allergisch gegen Nüsse.Drop the English here

    English

    Drag an English line onto its German, or tap one and then the other.

  3. What do you say?

    Renate is about to put ham on a roll. You eat no meat.

  4. Fill the gap

    I'm allergic to nuts.

    Ich bin allergisch gegen ____.

  5. What does it mean?

    Ist das vegan?

  6. Build the line

    Have you got anything vegetarian?

    ?

    Tap the words in order.

  7. Swap the word

    You want to know if this snack is fully plant-based.

    Ist das ____?

  8. Pick the reply

    Renate says:

    Da ist Fleisch drin.

    There is meat in it.

    And you reply with:

  9. Sort them

    You ask about the food

    You say what you skip

    Drag each line into its group, or tap a line and then a group.

  10. What do you say?

    You already chose that filled roll. Order it now at the counter.

  11. Pick the reply

    Renate says:

    Ein belegtes Brötchen mit Fleisch?

    A filled roll with meat?

    And you reply with:

Say it — say it at the counter

Now you're Priya at the bakery, checking what you can eat. When it's your turn, tap the microphone and speak the line.

Tap ▶ first if you want to hear the line. Your recording stays on your device.

  1. RenateEin belegtes Brötchen?A filled roll?
  2. Priya (you)Ask if the roll has meat in it.

    Ist da ___ drin?

    Does it have ___ in it?

0 of 7 said

Recap — what you can say now

GermanEnglish
Ich kann ___ nicht essen.I can't eat ___.
Ist da ___ drin?Does it have ___ in it?
Ich esse vegetarisch.I'm vegetarian.
Ist das vegan?Is this vegan?
Ich bin allergisch gegen Nüsse.I'm allergic to nuts.
Hast du etwas Vegetarisches?Have you got anything vegetarian?
Next: lesson 59Hot, cold, rainy

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Keep practicing with Yak Cards

Want to keep these food lines handy? Grab the Yak Cards for this lesson and review them anywhere.

A quick round with the Yak Cards each day keeps your food limits ready for the counter.

Open Yak Cards