Practise a precise restaurant conversation: state an allergy, ask about ingredients and recognise when the answer is still unknown. This is language practice, not confirmation that a dish is safe. Use your own clinician’s advice for managing your allergy.
Useful phrases for this example
| Έχω αλλεργία στο γάλα. | I have a milk allergy. |
| Η σάλτσα περιέχει γάλα ή βούτυρο; | Does the sauce contain milk or butter? |
| Παρακαλώ, ελέγξτε τα συστατικά. | Please check the ingredients. |
| Χρησιμοποιείτε τα ίδια σκεύη για φαγητά με γάλα; | Do you use the same utensils for dishes containing milk? |
| Μπορείτε να το γράψετε, παρακαλώ; | Could you write it down, please? |
Milk allergy and lactose intolerance are different. “Lactose-free” does not mean suitable for a milk allergy. Here we practise the specific phrase αλλεργία στο γάλα; do not replace an allergy statement with a food preference.
An original conversation with an unanswered question
— Έχω αλλεργία στο γάλα. Η σάλτσα περιέχει γάλα ή βούτυρο;
— Δεν ξέρω. Θα ρωτήσω στην κουζίνα.
— Ευχαριστώ. Παρακαλώ, ελέγξτε τα συστατικά.
Customer: I have a milk allergy. Does the sauce contain milk or butter? / Staff member: I do not know. I will ask in the kitchen. / Customer: Thank you. Please check the ingredients.
Δεν ξέρω means “I do not know”. Θα ρωτήσω describes a future check, not a completed one. Asking about ingredients and shared utensils addresses different information; a phrase or this fictional dialogue cannot establish the preparation conditions of a real meal.
Check the information you actually have
- What allergy does the customer state?
- Which two ingredients are named in the sauce question?
- Has the staff member already confirmed the ingredients?
- Does this dialogue establish that the dish is safe for the customer?
Answers
1. A milk allergy. 2. Milk and butter. 3. No: the staff member will ask. 4. No: the ingredient question remains unanswered and preparation conditions have not been established.
Rehearse a clarification
Read the customer’s first sentence aloud. Your partner replies Δεν ξέρω. Respond by asking for the ingredients to be checked, then ask whether the same utensils are used for dishes with milk. Practise requesting the reply in writing if you did not understand it. Do not turn “I do not know” into “there is none” when retelling the exchange.
Possible follow-up
Παρακαλώ, ελέγξτε τα συστατικά. Χρησιμοποιείτε τα ίδια σκεύη για φαγητά με γάλα;
Please check the ingredients. Do you use the same utensils for dishes containing milk?
Other ways to say the key phrases
- Είμαι αλλεργικός στο γάλα. (man) / Είμαι αλλεργική στο γάλα. (woman) — “I am allergic to milk”, an alternative to Έχω αλλεργία στο γάλα.
- Έχω αλλεργία στους ξηρούς καρπούς. — nuts; Έχω αλλεργία στα αυγά. — eggs. Notice that the article changes with the food.
- Υπάρχει γάλα σε αυτό το φαγητό; — short: “Is there milk in this food?”; Μπορείτε να μου πείτε τι περιέχει αυτό το πιάτο; — fuller and very polite.
- Δεν μπορώ να φάω γαλακτοκομικά. — “I can’t eat dairy products”; useful after the allergy sentence, not instead of it.
Common mistakes
- Leaving out the preposition: not Έχω αλλεργία γάλα but Έχω αλλεργία στο γάλα.
- Using the wrong ending: a woman says Είμαι αλλεργική, not Είμαι αλλεργικός.
- Saying a preference instead: Δεν μου αρέσει το γάλα. means “I don’t like milk” and does not tell staff about an allergy.
- Treating χωρίς λακτόζη, “lactose-free”, as “milk-free”: the two are different, as noted above.
FAQ
How do you say “I am allergic” in Greek? Say Έχω αλλεργία στο… followed by the food, or Είμαι αλλεργικός (man) / αλλεργική (woman) στο….
How do you ask “Does it contain nuts?” in Greek? Ask Περιέχει ξηρούς καρπούς; If the answer is Δεν ξέρω, the question is still open: ask the staff to check, as in the dialogue.
Can a written note help in Greek? Many people also show the key sentence written down. Μπορείτε να το γράψετε, παρακαλώ; asks for the reply in writing. Neither replaces the advice of your own clinician.
Continue with restaurant language
Read a Greek menu · Ask someone to repeat more slowly