French distinguishes between an allergy, une allergie, and an intolerance, une intolérance. Different expressions let you describe each one and ask about ingredients in a dish.
Communicating allergies and intolerances
French distinguishes between une allergie and une intolérance. On menus and food labels, you may also see references to les allergènes:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| une allergie | allergy |
| allergique | allergic |
| une allergie alimentaire | food allergy |
| les allergènes | allergens |
| une intolérance | intolerance |
| intolérant / intolérante | intolerant |
To identify the food involved, use être allergique à or intolérant à:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Je suis allergique aux noix. | I'm allergic to nuts. |
| Je suis allergique aux arachides. | I'm allergic to peanuts. |
| Je suis allergique aux fruits de mer. | I'm allergic to shellfish / seafood. |
| Je suis allergique aux œufs. | I'm allergic to eggs. |
| Je suis allergique au lait. | I'm allergic to milk. |
| Je suis intolérant au lactose. | I'm lactose intolerant. |
| Je suis intolérante au lactose. | I'm lactose intolerant. |
Another direct option is to say what you cannot eat. This is useful when the restriction matters more than explaining why:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Je ne peux pas manger de gluten. | I can't eat gluten. |
| Je ne peux pas manger de produits laitiers. | I can't eat dairy products. |
Je ne peux pas manger... states the restriction clearly without describing it as either an allergy or an intolerance.
Common allergens
The words used on menus and food labels are not always the ones you hear in everyday conversation. These are common allergens worth recognizing in both settings:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| les arachides | peanuts |
| les cacahuètes | peanuts |
| les fruits à coque | tree nuts |
| le lait | milk |
| les œufs | eggs |
| le gluten | gluten |
| le blé | wheat |
| le soja | soy |
| le poisson | fish |
| les crustacés | crustaceans |
| les mollusques | mollusks |
| le sésame | sesame |
Les arachides and les cacahuètes both mean peanuts, but arachides is common on food labels while cacahuètes is common in everyday speech. For tree nuts, labels often use fruits à coque. The broader word noix can refer to nuts, but it is less precise when identifying allergens.
Asking about allergens
When you need to check a specific dish, ask directly whether it contains the allergen. French commonly uses contenir or il y a for these questions:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Est-ce que ce plat contient des arachides ? | Does this dish contain peanuts? |
| Est-ce que ça contient des œufs ? | Does it contain eggs? |
| Est-ce que ça contient du gluten ? | Does it contain gluten? |
| Est-ce qu'il y a du lait dans la sauce ? | Is there milk in the sauce? |
| Il y a des fruits à coque dedans ? | Are there tree nuts in it? |
Contenir means "to contain" and works well when asking about a specific ingredient. Il y a... ? is a more conversational way to ask whether something is in a dish.
Explaining a serious allergy
Sometimes stating the allergy is only the first step. If the allergy is serious, these expressions make the severity or need to avoid the food explicit:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| C'est une allergie grave. | It's a serious allergy. |
| Je ne peux vraiment pas en manger. | I really can't eat any of it. |
| Je suis très allergique aux arachides. | I'm very allergic to peanuts. |
| Je dois éviter les fruits à coque. | I have to avoid tree nuts. |
C'est une allergie grave states the severity directly, while je dois éviter... emphasizes that the food must be avoided.
From learning to practice
Talking about food allergies and intolerances means being specific about what you cannot eat and recognizing the words used for common allergens. When a dish is unfamiliar, asking directly what it contains helps you use that vocabulary in a real conversation.