Traditional Chinese course

Lesson 53 of 240

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Food I can't eat in Traditional Chinese

At Banyan Breakfast, Maya is ready to order an egg pancake, but first she needs to check what is inside. Auntie Lin can answer; A-Li has never asked about the filling in his life.

Learn to say what you don't eat, name a peanut allergy, and ask whether a dish contains egg or is spicy. You can also ask for no coriander.

These are practical lines for ordering safely and clearly in Taipei. Listen for the gentle neutral ending in a short question, then try your own food requests.

By the end of this lesson

Say what you do not eat, tell someone you have a peanut allergy, and ask whether food contains egg or is spicy.

  • 我吃素I'm vegetarian.
  • 我不吃牛肉I don't eat beef.
  • 我對花生過敏I'm allergic to peanuts.
  • 裡面有蛋嗎？Is there egg in it?
  • 這個辣嗎？Is this spicy?
  • 不要香菜No coriander.

Scene — questions at breakfast

Morning at Banyan Breakfast: Maya is looking at the egg pancake on the counter and wants to know what is inside.

Auntie Lin is ready to help, while A-Li sits nearby with his unfinished soy milk.

Maya asks about the filling. A-Li admits he has never asked about it, though he has ordered egg pancakes for years.

Maya studies an egg pancake on the counter while Auntie Lin is ready to help and A-Li sits nearby with unfinished soy milk.

Learn — food needs and ingredients

These six useful lines help you explain what you avoid and ask about common ingredients. Listen to each one, then say it out loud.

Use a clear, calm voice when you mention an allergy or ask the shopkeeper about a dish.

  1. Maya indicates that she is vegetarian while politely declining a meat filling at the breakfast counter.

    我吃素

    I'm vegetarian.

    When to use it: Use this to tell a server you do not eat meat.

    Learn it as one piece.

  2. Auntie Lin sets beef aside and makes clear that she does not eat it.

    我不吃牛肉

    I don't eat beef.

    When to use it: Say this when you avoid beef.

    Learn it as one piece.

  3. Maya spots peanuts beside the food and gestures that she is allergic to them.

    我對花生過敏

    I'm allergic to peanuts.

    When to use it: Use this to tell someone about a peanut allergy.

    Learn it as one piece.

  4. Maya points curiously to the egg inside a cut-open egg pancake.

    裡面有蛋嗎？

    Is there egg in it?

    When to use it: Ask this when you want to check whether a dish contains egg.

    Learn it as one piece.

  5. Auntie Lin gestures toward chili sauce and asks whether the dish is spicy.

    這個辣嗎？

    Is this spicy?

    When to use it: Ask this before choosing a dish.

    Learn it as one piece.

    Say it: The final syllable in 嗎 is neutral.

  6. Maya asks for the coriander to be left off her food by gesturing toward the fresh leaves.

    不要香菜

    No coriander.

    When to use it: Tell the server to leave coriander out.

    Learn it as one piece.

Story — checking the egg pancake

Maya checks the filling in an egg pancake at Banyan Breakfast. Auntie Lin answers her questions, while A-Li admits he has never asked about the filling himself.

His soy milk is still unfinished, and the fortune slip remains folded in the till.

  1. Auntie Lin美女，早安！Good morning, beautiful!
  2. Maya我吃素。I'm vegetarian.
  3. Auntie Lin好喔。Okay.
  4. Maya裡面有蛋嗎？Is there egg in it?
  5. Auntie Lin蛋餅有蛋。The egg pancake has egg.
  6. A-Li我從來沒問過。I've never asked.
  7. Maya我不吃牛肉。I don't eat beef.
  8. Auntie Lin沒有牛肉。There's no beef.
  9. Maya我對花生過敏。I'm allergic to peanuts.
  10. Maya這個辣嗎？Is this spicy?
  11. Auntie Lin不辣。It's not spicy.
  12. Maya不要香菜。No coriander.

Practice — order with care

Try eleven short exercises about food choices and ingredients. Choose the line that fits each moment, then check the feedback.

A few earlier greetings and food words return for review, just as they might at the breakfast shop.

0 of 11 done

  1. What does it mean?

    我吃素

  2. What do you say?

    You need to tell the server that peanuts cause an allergy.

  3. Build the line

    I don't eat beef.

    Tap the words in order.

  4. Fill the gap

    Is there egg in it?

    裡面有____嗎？

  5. Match the pairs

    Traditional Chinese

    我吃素Drop the English here
    我不吃牛肉Drop the English here
    我對花生過敏Drop the English here
    裡面有蛋嗎？Drop the English here

    English

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

  6. What did you hear?

  7. Pick the reply

    Auntie Lin says:

    你吃牛肉嗎？

    Do you eat beef?

    And you reply with:

  8. Swap the word

    You have a peanut allergy. Replace the ingredient in the sentence.

    我對____過敏

  9. What do you say?

    Ask the server to leave coriander out of your food.

  10. What do you say?

    Greet Auntie Lin when you arrive at the breakfast shop in the afternoon.

  11. What does it mean?

    蛋餅

Say it — your food questions

Now speak as Maya at Banyan Breakfast. Ask Auntie Lin about ingredients and tell her what you need to avoid.

Listen to each cue, then say your line out loud. Keep the allergy information clear and simple.

  1. Maya checks the egg pancake before ordering.
  2. Maya (you)Ask whether there is egg inside.

    裡面有蛋嗎？

    Is there egg in it?

0 of 4 said

Recap — what you can say now

Traditional ChineseEnglish
我吃素I'm vegetarian.
我不吃牛肉I don't eat beef.
我對花生過敏I'm allergic to peanuts.
裡面有蛋嗎？Is there egg in it?
這個辣嗎？Is this spicy?
不要香菜No coriander.
Next: lesson 54Hot, cold, rainy

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Review these food lines in Yak Cards and practise them before your next meal.

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