Dietary & Allergies

1. Saya seorang vegetarian.

   I am a vegetarian.

   Usage

   Basic vegetarian declaration

   Grammar Note

   "seorang" is the classifier for people

2. Saya vegan dan tidak makan sebarang produk haiwan.

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

   Usage

   Clarify avoidance of dairy/eggs

   Grammar Note

   "sebarang" = "any (whatsoever)"

3. Saya alah kepada semua jenis kacang.

   I am allergic to nuts.

   Usage

   Declares an allergy to legumes and tree nuts together. Say kacang tanah for peanuts alone

   Grammar Note

   "alah kepada" = "allergic to". kacang alone is not enough: Malay kacang lumps peanuts (kacang tanah), tree nuts and beans (kacang soya, soy) together, and on its own it is easily heard as a peanut allergy, leaving almonds and cashews to read as safe. Malay has no established term that isolates tree nuts — the Indonesian kacang pohon is not confirmed for Malaysia — so rather than split the category, the phrase rules all of it out with semua jenis ("every kind")

4. Adakah anda mempunyai menu bebas gluten?

   Do you have a gluten-free menu?

   Usage

   For celiac/gluten intolerance

   Grammar Note

   "Adakah" starts a yes/no question

5. Saya makan halal dan tidak makan daging babi.

   I eat halal; I don't eat pork.

   Usage

   Explain Muslim dietary rules (standard in Malaysia)

   Grammar Note

   Halal is the default expectation in Malaysia

6. Saya tidak tahan laktosa.

   I'm lactose intolerant.

   Usage

   Explain lactose intolerance

   Grammar Note

   "tidak tahan" = "cannot tolerate"

7. Saya alah kepada makanan laut.

   I am allergic to seafood.

   Usage

   Declare seafood allergy

   Grammar Note

   "makanan + laut" = "food + sea"

8. Apakah bahan-bahan dalam hidangan ini?

   What are the ingredients in this dish?

   Usage

   Basic question to check ingredients

   Grammar Note

   Reduplication "bahan-bahan" marks plural

9. Boleh anda buat tanpa bawang?

   Can you make it without onion?

   Usage

   Ask to omit ingredient

   Grammar Note

   "Boleh" = "can"

10. Saya alah kepada telur.

    I am allergic to eggs.

    Usage

    Avoid egg-containing dishes

    Grammar Note

    "kepada" = "to/toward"

11. Adakah anda mempunyai senarai alergen?

    Do you have an allergen list?

    Usage

    Request allergen list

    Grammar Note

    "mempunyai" = "to have"

12. Ini alahan yang mengancam nyawa.

    This is a life-threatening allergy.

    Usage

    Warn of severity

    Grammar Note

    "yang" is the relative marker "that"

13. Adakah ini mengandungi minyak atau rempah?

    Does this contain oil or spices?

    Usage

    Check for oil/spices

    Grammar Note

    "atau" = "or"

14. Adakah ia mungkin tercemar dengan makanan lain?

    Could it be contaminated by other food?

    Usage

    Ask about cross-contamination

    Grammar Note

    "ter-" = passive/accidental prefix

15. Terima kasih atas pemahaman anda.

    Thank you for your understanding.

    Usage

    Thank for accommodating

    Grammar Note

    "atas" = "for/about"

16. Saya tidak boleh makan daging.

    I can't eat meat.

    Usage

    State you can't eat meat

    Grammar Note

    "tidak boleh" = negative potential

17. Daging babi

    Pork

    Usage

    Point at it to check whether a dish contains pork; halal outlets never serve it, but always check at Chinese-Malaysian stalls

18. Daging lembu

    Beef

    Usage

    Check for beef; "daging" on its own just means meat in general

19. Ayam

    Chicken

    Usage

    Check whether a dish contains chicken

20. Ikan

    Fish

    Usage

    Check for fish; watch out for fish sauce ("budu", "sos ikan") too

21. Telur

    Egg

    Usage

    Check whether a dish contains egg

22. Produk tenusu

    Dairy products

    Usage

    Milk, cheese, butter and the rest; Malaysia uses "tenusu" (Indonesian says "produk susu")

23. Kacang tanah

    Peanut

    Usage

    Names peanuts specifically — they are in satay sauce, rojak, and nasi lemak

24. Semua jenis kacang

    All kinds of nuts

    Usage

    Malay "kacang" lumps peanuts, tree nuts and beans together, so this card deliberately rules out all of them rather than trying to split them

25. Udang dan ketam

    Shellfish (shrimp and crab)

    Usage

    Names the crustaceans concretely; also ask about shrimp paste ("belacan"), which is in many dishes

26. Gandum

    Wheat

    Usage

    Check for wheat — it is in roti, noodles, and soy sauce

27. Kacang soya

    Soy

    Usage

    Check for soy — it is in soy sauce ("kicap") and tofu ("tauhu")

28. Bijan

    Sesame

    Usage

    Check for sesame; Malaysia says "bijan" (Indonesian says "wijen")

29. Alkohol

    Alcohol

    Usage

    Check for alcohol, including cooking wine — works for religious and medical reasons alike

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