Dietary & Allergies

1. Mpihinana legioma aho.

   I am vegetarian.

   Usage

   Basic vegetarian declaration

   Grammar Note

   "mpi-" derives "one who does ~"

2. Vegana aho ary tsy mihinana sakafo avy amin'ny biby.

   I'm vegan; I don't eat animal-based food.

   Usage

   Clarify avoidance of dairy/eggs

   Grammar Note

   "avy amin'ny" = "originating from"

3. Tsy mahazaka voanjo sy mahabibo aho — marary aho raha mihinana izany.

   I have a nut allergy.

   Usage

   Declare nut allergy

   Grammar Note

   Malagasy has no native word for "allergy", so the phrase is built from tsy mahazaka ("cannot tolerate") plus an explanation that eating it makes you ill. Voanjo is the peanut (an underground legume, not a tree nut) and mahabibo is the cashew, a major Madagascan crop. Malagasy has no umbrella term for tree nuts, so these two words stand for them; almonds, walnuts and other nuts are not covered, so name them directly if needed

4. Manana sakafo tsy misy gilotenina ve ianareo?

   Do you have gluten-free food?

   Usage

   For celiac/gluten intolerance

   Grammar Note

   "ve" is the question particle

5. Mihinana sakafo halal aho ary tsy mihinana hen-kisoa.

   I eat halal; I don't eat pork.

   Usage

   Explain Muslim dietary rules

   Grammar Note

   "Hena" (meat) + "kisoa" (pig) combine as hen-kisoa. Halal has no Malagasy equivalent and is written in its international spelling; avoid the similar-looking halala, a dialect word meaning "a wretched, destitute person"

6. Tsy zakan'ny vatako ny ronono.

   My body can't tolerate milk.

   Usage

   Explain lactose intolerance

   Grammar Note

   "tsy zaka" = "cannot tolerate"

7. Manana alerjia amin'ny sakafo an-dranomasina aho.

   I have a seafood allergy.

   Usage

   Declare seafood allergy

   Grammar Note

   "An-" is the locative prefix "in/of", so sakafo an-dranomasina is "food from the sea" = seafood. Alerjia is borrowed from French allergie

8. Inona no ao anatin'ity sakafo ity?

   What's in this dish?

   Usage

   Basic question to check ingredients

   Grammar Note

   "ity ... ity" brackets the demonstrative

9. Azonao atao ve tsy asiana tongolo?

   Can you make it without onion?

   Usage

   Ask to omit ingredient

   Grammar Note

   "azonao atao" = "you can do"

10. Manana alerjia amin'ny atody aho.

    I have an egg allergy.

    Usage

    Avoid egg-containing dishes

    Grammar Note

    "Manana alerjia amin'ny ..." is "to have an allergy to ..."; amin'ny means "with regard to"

11. Manana lisitry ny alerjena ve ianareo?

    Do you have an allergen list?

    Usage

    Request allergen list

    Grammar Note

    "Lisitry ny" means "the list of ...". Alerjena is borrowed from French allergène; the allergy itself is alerjia

12. Alerjia mety hahafaty ahy izany.

    This is a life-threatening allergy.

    Usage

    Warn of severity

    Grammar Note

    Mahafaty means "to kill, to be fatal"; its future is hahafaty. Combined with mety ("may, could") it conveys "life-threatening"

13. Misy menaka na zava-manitra ve ao anatin'ity?

    Does it contain oil or spices?

    Usage

    Check for oil/spices

    Grammar Note

    "na" = "or"

14. Mety hifangaro amin'ny sakafo hafa ve izany?

    Could it be mixed with other food?

    Usage

    Ask about cross-contamination

    Grammar Note

    "hi-" is the future prefix

15. Misaotra noho ny fahatakaranareo.

    Thank you for understanding.

    Usage

    Thank for accommodating

    Grammar Note

    "noho" = "because of"

16. Tsy afaka mihinana hena aho.

    I can't eat meat.

    Usage

    State you can't eat meat

    Grammar Note

    "afaka" = "be able to"

17. Henan-kisoa

    Pork

    Usage

    Use to check for religious restrictions or allergies

18. Henan'omby

    Beef

    Usage

    Use to check for religious restrictions or allergies

19. Henan'akoho

    Chicken

    Usage

    Use to check which meat is in a dish

20. Trondro

    Fish

    Usage

    Use to check for allergies or when ordering

21. Atody

    Egg

    Usage

    Use to check for an allergen

22. Ronono

    Dairy / Milk

    Usage

    Use to check for a dairy allergy or lactose intolerance

23. Voanjo

    Peanut

    Usage

    Use to check for a severe allergen; this one can be life-threatening

24. Varimbazaha

    Wheat

    Usage

    Use when you need to avoid gluten

25. Soja

    Soy

    Usage

    Use to check for an allergen

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