Dietary & Allergies

1. Ben vejetaryenim.

   I am vegetarian.

   Usage

   Declares vegetarianism

   Grammar Note

   "-im" is first-person singular suffix

2. Veganım. Hiçbir hayvansal ürün yemiyorum.

   I'm vegan. I don't eat any animal products.

   Usage

   Avoids all animal-derived foods

   Grammar Note

   "hiçbir" emphatic negation: "none at all"

3. Sert kabuklu meyvelere alerjim var.

   I have a nut allergy.

   Usage

   Tree-nut allergy in general (almond, hazelnut, walnut, cashew, pistachio). Peanut is "yer fıstığı", a separate allergen

   Grammar Note

   "alerjim var" = "I have an allergy". Do NOT use "fındık" — it means hazelnut only, which would let almonds or cashews read as safe. The Turkish Food Codex labelling regulation uses "sert kabuklu meyveler" as the tree-nut allergen category. Colloquial "kuruyemiş" also covers dried fruit and seeds, so it is unsuitable for a declaration

4. Glutensiz menünüz var mı?

   Do you have a gluten-free menu?

   Usage

   Standard celiac question

   Grammar Note

   "-siz" is the "without ~" suffix

5. Müslümanım, domuz eti yemem.

   I'm Muslim and don't eat pork.

   Usage

   Declares Muslim observance

   Grammar Note

   "-mem" is first-person singular negative aorist

6. Laktoz intoleransım var.

   I am lactose intolerant.

   Usage

   Declares lactose intolerance

   Grammar Note

   "-ım" is the possessive suffix

7. Kabuklu deniz ürünlerine alerjim var.

   I'm allergic to shellfish.

   Usage

   Shellfish allergy; often severe

   Grammar Note

   "-(y)e + alerjim var" uses dative

8. Bu yemekte hangi malzemeler var?

   What ingredients are in this dish?

   Usage

   Standard ingredient-check question

   Grammar Note

   "-de" is the locative suffix

9. Soğansız yapabilir misiniz?

   Can you make it without onion?

   Usage

   Request to omit an ingredient

   Grammar Note

   "-abil" is the ability/possibility suffix

10. Yumurta alerjim var.

    I have an egg allergy.

    Usage

    Watch for hidden eggs

    Grammar Note

    "yumurta alerjim" = yumurta (egg) + alerji (allergy) + -m ("my"); with "var" it means "I have an egg allergy"

11. Alerjen bilgisi var mı?

    Do you have allergen information?

    Usage

    Asks for allergen info

    Grammar Note

    "-si" marks possession/compound

12. Bu alerji hayati tehlike taşıyor. Lütfen çok dikkatli olun.

    This allergy is life-threatening. Please be very careful.

    Usage

    Communicates anaphylaxis risk

    Grammar Note

    "olun" is plural imperative of "olmak"

13. Bunda yer fıstığı yağı var mı?

    Does this contain peanut oil?

    Usage

    Important at Asian restaurants

    Grammar Note

    "yer fıstığı" literally "ground nut"

14. Alerjensiz yemekler için ayrı mutfak gereçleri kullanıyor musunuz?

    Do you use separate utensils for allergen-free dishes?

    Usage

    Checks cross-contamination

    Grammar Note

    "-iyor musunuz" is the polite present-continuous question

15. Beslenme ihtiyaçlarımı karşıladığınız için teşekkür ederim.

    Thank you for meeting my dietary needs.

    Usage

    Polite gratitude for accommodation

    Grammar Note

    "-dığınız için" forms "because you ~"

16. Dini sebeplerden dolayı sığır eti yemiyorum.

    For religious reasons I don't eat beef.

    Usage

    Explains religious avoidance of beef

    Grammar Note

    "sebeplerden dolayı" = "due to ~ reasons"

17. Domuz eti

    Pork

    Usage

    Point to this to check whether a dish contains pork, including for religious reasons

18. Sığır eti

    Beef

    Usage

    Checks for beef; menus more often say "dana eti" (young beef/veal)

19. Tavuk eti

    Chicken

    Usage

    Checks for chicken; "tavuk" alone is also understood

20. Balık

    Fish

    Usage

    Checks for fish — relevant both to allergies and to dietary rules

21. Yumurta

    Egg

    Usage

    Checks for egg, including in pastries and bread

22. Süt ürünleri

    Dairy products

    Usage

    Covers milk, cheese, and yogurt as a group — Turkish cooking uses dairy heavily

23. Yer fıstığı

    Peanut

    Usage

    Checks specifically for peanuts; keep "yer" — bare "fıstık" can also mean pistachio (Antep fıstığı)

24. Sert kabuklu meyveler

    Tree nuts

    Usage

    The formal umbrella term for walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds and the like; the colloquial "kuruyemiş" also covers seeds and dried snacks

25. Kabuklu deniz ürünleri

    Shellfish, crustaceans

    Usage

    Covers shrimp, crab, and shellfish; kept as a single word card because this allergy can be anaphylactic

26. Buğday

    Wheat

    Usage

    Checks for wheat; gluten-free is "glutensiz"

27. Soya

    Soy

    Usage

    Checks for soy; soy sauce is "soya sosu"

28. Susam

    Sesame

    Usage

    Checks for sesame — heavily used in simit bread rings and tahini ("tahin")

29. Alkol

    Alcohol

    Usage

    Checks whether a dish or drink contains alcohol; "alkolsüz" means alcohol-free

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