German - Food Preferences

Lesson 63 of 158

Close-up of a menu and a cup of coffee; English learners practicing food preference phrases in German.

Goal: Talk about likes, allergies, and polite requests

Free German lessons with guided practice, audio, and speaking support.

Ready to talk about food in German? Let’s practice useful phrases for menus, friends, and restaurants. This lesson is relaxed — we’ll listen, repeat, and speak aloud a few times so these phrases stick.

Level A2: In this lesson (Lesson 63) you will practice asking about dietary options, saying what you can or can't eat, checking for allergies, and making polite refusals. We'll use eight helpful chunks for everyday food conversations — perfect for ordering or planning a meal. This lesson is CEFR-aligned and focused on practical speaking and listening.

After this lesson you'll be able to:

  • Ask politely whether a menu has vegetarian, vegan, or other options.
  • Say what you can and cannot eat and ask about allergies.
  • Politely refuse an ingredient and express strong likes or mild acceptance.
Two friends choosing what to eat and asking about vegetarian and allergy options in German.

Ready? Let's go!

When you tap play on phrases, we track your progress through this lesson.

1. Reading + Listening Practice

Hear core phrases, repeat aloud.

Gibt es auch eine ___ Option?

Is there a ___ option?

Meaning: Is there a ___ option?

When to use: Ask this when you want to know if a specific dietary option exists (e.g., vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free).

Tip: Remember adjective endings: say ‚vegetarische Option‘ (not ‚vegetarisch Option‘).

Gibt es auch eine vegetarische Option?
Is there also a vegetarian option?
Gibt es auch eine milchfreie Option?
Is there also a dairy-free option?

Ich kann ___ essen, aber ___ nicht.

I can eat ___, but not ___.

Meaning: I can eat ___, but not ___.

When to use: Use this to explain what foods are okay for you and what you must avoid.

Ich kann Reis essen, aber Fleisch nicht.
I can eat rice, but not meat.
Ich kann Tomaten essen, aber keine Zwiebeln.
I can eat tomatoes, but not onions.

Bist du allergisch gegen ___?

Are you allergic to ___?

Meaning: Are you allergic to ___?

When to use: Ask this when you want to check if someone has a food allergy (informal).

Tip: For formal situations use ‚Sind Sie allergisch gegen …?‘ instead of ‚Bist du …?‘

Bist du allergisch gegen Nüsse?
Are you allergic to nuts?
Bist du allergisch gegen Milchprodukte?
Are you allergic to dairy products?

Was isst du gern?

What kind of food do you like?

Meaning: What kind of food do you like?

When to use: Use this casual question to ask someone about their general food preferences.

Was isst du gern? Ich esse gern Pasta.
What do you like to eat? I like pasta.
Was isst du gern — eher süß oder herzhaft?
What do you like to eat — sweet or savory?

Für mich bitte kein ___.

No ___ for me, please.

Meaning: No ___ for me, please.

When to use: Politely refuse an ingredient or dish when ordering or being served.

Tip: Change ‚kein‘ to match gender/number: use ‚keinen‘ (masc.), ‚keine‘ (fem./pl.).

Für mich bitte kein Fleisch.
No meat for me, please.
Für mich bitte keine Zwiebeln.
No onions for me, please.

Ich mag ___ total gern.

I'm a big fan of ___.

Meaning: I'm a big fan of ___.

When to use: Say this when you want to emphasize that you really like a certain food.

Ich mag Sushi total gern.
I really like sushi.
Ich mag Schokolade total gern.
I love chocolate.

Gibt es irgendwas, was du nicht essen kannst?

Is there anything you can't eat?

Meaning: Is there anything you can’t eat?

When to use: A casual way to ask about any dietary restrictions, allergies, or preferences.

Gibt es irgendwas, was du nicht essen kannst? Ich vertrage leider keine Laktose.
Is there anything you can't eat? I can't tolerate lactose.
Gibt es irgendwas, was du nicht essen kannst, wegen einer Religion?
Is there anything you can't eat for religious reasons?

Es ist okay, aber nicht mein Lieblingsessen.

It's okay, but it's not my favorite.

Meaning: It’s okay, but it’s not my favorite.

When to use: Use this to say a food is acceptable but you wouldn't choose it first.

Die Suppe ist gut. Es ist okay, aber nicht mein Lieblingsessen.
The soup is good. It's okay, but not my favorite.
Der Salat ist frisch, aber es ist okay, aber nicht mein Lieblingsessen.
The salad is fresh, but it's okay — not my favorite.

2. Conversational Listening Practice

Hear phrases in a real mini-conversation.

At a café deciding what to order

Anna and David at a small café discussing what they like and whether dishes are safe for allergies.

What are Anna and David talking about?

Portrait of Anna in a German lesson dialogue

Anna

Was isst du gern?

What do you like to eat?

Portrait of David in a German lesson dialogue

David

Ich mag Pizza total gern. Gibt es auch eine vegetarische Option?

I really like pizza. Is there also a vegetarian option?

Portrait of Anna in a German lesson dialogue

Anna

Ja. Für mich bitte kein Fleisch, bitte.

Yes. No meat for me, please.

Portrait of David in a German lesson dialogue

David

Gibt es irgendwas, was du nicht essen kannst? Bist du allergisch gegen Nüsse?

Is there anything you can't eat? Are you allergic to nuts?

Portrait of Anna in a German lesson dialogue

Anna

Ich kann Nüsse essen, aber Milch nicht.

I can eat nuts, but not milk.

Portrait of David in a German lesson dialogue

David

Okay. Wenn du willst, ist die Gemüsepizza okay, aber nicht dein Lieblingsessen?

Okay. If you like, the vegetable pizza is okay, but not your favorite?

3. Guided Practice

Quizzes and matching to lock in meaning.

Which German sentence means 'Are you allergic to nuts?'

Which sentence is a polite refusal meaning 'No onions for me, please'?

Which German phrase asks 'Is there anything you can’t eat?'

Which sentence means 'I'm really a fan of sushi'?

Is there also a vegetarian option? I don't eat meat.

Gibt es auch eine ___ Option? Ich esse kein Fleisch.

I can eat cheese, but not milk.

Ich kann Käse essen, aber ___ nicht.

No peanuts for me, please — I'm allergic.

Für mich bitte keine ___, ich bin allergisch.

Match the core phrases

Match the extra phrases

4. Speaking Practice

Say phrases yourself (mic/recording).

Recording stays on your device only. Check speech uses your browser's speech tools when available.

Say this phrase out loud:

Gibt es auch eine ___ Option?

Is there a ___ option?

Say this phrase out loud:

Ich kann ___ essen, aber ___ nicht.

I can eat ___, but not ___.

Say this phrase out loud:

Bist du allergisch gegen ___?

Are you allergic to ___?

Say this phrase out loud:

Was isst du gern?

What kind of food do you like?

Say this phrase out loud:

Für mich bitte kein ___.

No ___ for me, please.

Say this phrase out loud:

Ich mag ___ total gern.

I'm a big fan of ___.

Say this phrase out loud:

Gibt es irgendwas, was du nicht essen kannst?

Is there anything you can’t eat?

Say this phrase out loud:

Es ist okay, aber nicht mein Lieblingsessen.

It’s okay, but it’s not my favorite.