Asking About Allergens at Restaurants
Asking about allergens · a free Swedish immersion capsule
Useful sentences · 10
Phrases you'll actually use today. Tap Explain for the why behind each one.
Innehåller den här rätten nötter?
Does this dish contain nuts?
Literal Contains this here dish nuts?
A direct yes/no question using 'innehåller' (contains). In Swedish yes/no questions, the verb moves to the first position.
- Verb-first word order in yes/no questions
- Definite form 'rätten' (the dish)
Jag är allergisk mot gluten och kan inte äta bröd.
I am allergic to gluten and cannot eat bread.
Literal I am allergic against gluten and can not eat bread.
'Allergisk mot' means allergic to — Swedish uses 'mot' (against) where English uses 'to'. 'Inte' follows the modal verb 'kan' for negation.
- 'Allergisk mot' = allergic to (mot means against)
- Negation 'inte' placed after modal verb 'kan'
Kan du berätta vilka ingredienser som finns i soppan?
Can you tell me which ingredients are in the soup?
Literal Can you tell which ingredients that exist in the soup?
'Vilka' is the plural question word meaning 'which', ideal for asking about a list of items. 'Som finns' is a relative clause meaning 'that are/exist'.
- 'Vilka' = which, used for plurals
- Relative clause introduced by 'som'
- Polite request with 'kan du'
Finns det mjölk eller ägg i den här kakan?
Is there milk or eggs in this cake?
Literal Exists there milk or eggs in this here cake?
'Finns det' is the existential construction meaning 'is there'. It is built from 'finnas' (to exist) and is extremely common in Swedish questions.
- Existential construction 'finns det' (is there)
- Listing with 'eller' (or)
Jag skulle vilja veta om maten innehåller skaldjur.
I would like to know if the food contains shellfish.
Literal I would want to know if the food contains shellfish.
'Skulle vilja' is a polite conditional phrase meaning 'would like', softening what could otherwise sound like a demand. 'Om' introduces an indirect yes/no question.
- Polite conditional 'skulle vilja' (would like)
- Indirect question with 'om' (if/whether)
Kan du fråga kocken om rätten är glutenfri?
Can you ask the chef if the dish is gluten-free?
Literal Can you ask the chef if the dish is gluten-free?
A practical polite request. 'Kocken' is the definite form of 'kock' (chef). Notice 'om' again introducing the indirect question.
- Polite request with 'kan du'
- Definite form 'kocken' (the chef)
- Indirect question with 'om'
Det är väldigt viktigt för mig att undvika jordnötter.
It is very important for me to avoid peanuts.
Literal It is very important for me to avoid earth-nuts.
'Jordnötter' literally means 'earth nuts' (jord = earth/ground). 'Att undvika' is an infinitive phrase meaning 'to avoid'. The adjective 'viktigt' takes neuter form after 'det är'.
- Infinitive construction 'att undvika' (to avoid)
- Neuter adjective 'viktigt' after 'det är'
- 'Jord-' prefix means earth/ground
Menyn säger att rätten kan innehålla spår av nötter.
The menu says that the dish may contain traces of nuts.
Literal The menu says that the dish can contain tracks/traces of nuts.
'Kan innehålla' means 'may contain' or 'can contain' — standard food labeling language. 'Spår' (traces) literally means tracks and is the term used on Swedish product labels.
- Modal 'kan' for possibility (may/can)
- 'Spår av' = traces of (food label term)
Har ni några veganska alternativ utan laktos?
Do you have any vegan options without lactose?
Literal Have you some vegan alternatives without lactose?
'Ni' is the polite plural 'you', used when addressing staff or groups. 'Några' in a question context means 'any'. 'Utan' means without.
- Polite plural 'ni' (you, formal/plural)
- 'Några' = any in interrogative context
- 'Utan' = without
Tack för att du frågade, det känns tryggt att äta här.
Thank you for asking, it feels safe to eat here.
Literal Thank for that you asked, it feels safe to eat here.
'Tack för att' is a gratitude phrase followed by a verb clause. 'Känns' is the reflexive/mediopassive form of 'känna' meaning 'feels'. 'Tryggt' means safe or secure (neuter form).
- 'Tack för att' = thank you for (followed by verb clause)
- 'Känns' = feels (mediopassive form)
- Neuter adjective 'tryggt' after 'känns'
New words · 10
Themed vocabulary, each with an example you can borrow.
allergi
allergy
Har du en allergi mot nötter?
Do you have a nut allergy?
En-word. Plural: allergier. 'Allergisk mot' = allergic to.
innehåller
contains
Soppan innehåller mjölk.
The soup contains milk.
Present tense of 'innehålla'. Used on menus and ingredient labels.
ingredienser
ingredients
Vilka ingredienser finns i rätten?
Which ingredients are in the dish?
Usually plural in this context. Singular: ingrediens.
glutenfri
gluten-free
Är brödet glutenfritt?
Is the bread gluten-free?
Agrees with noun: glutenfri (common), glutenfritt (neuter), glutenfria (plural/definite).
nötter
nuts
Jag är allergisk mot nötter.
I am allergic to nuts.
Plural of 'nöt'. Jordnötter = peanuts (literally earth-nuts).
skaldjur
shellfish
Rätten innehåller inga skaldjur.
The dish contains no shellfish.
Ett-word. Covers crustaceans and molluscs collectively.
undvika
to avoid
Jag måste undvika gluten.
I must avoid gluten.
Infinitive. Irregular past tense: undvek. Common in health and dietary contexts.
spår
traces
Produkten kan innehålla spår av mjölk.
The product may contain traces of milk.
Same form in singular and plural. Standard food labeling word.
laktos
lactose
Jag tål inte laktos.
I cannot tolerate lactose.
Laktosfri = lactose-free. 'Tål inte' = cannot tolerate.
vegansk
vegan
Har ni veganska rätter på menyn?
Do you have vegan dishes on the menu?
Agrees with noun: vegansk (common), veganskt (neuter), veganska (plural/definite).
Short reading
A tiny story stitched from today's words. Translation is hidden, tap to peek.
Sofia gick in på en liten restaurang och frågade servitören om menyn. Hon förklarade lugnt att hon var allergisk mot nötter och skaldjur, och frågade vilka ingredienser som fanns i dagens specialrätt. Servitören var hjälpsam och gick direkt till kocken för att kontrollera. Han kom tillbaka och berättade att rätten innehöll varken nötter eller skaldjur, men att den kunde innehålla spår av mjölk. Sofia tackade honom varmt och beställde rätten med gott samvete.
Sentence by sentence
Hon förklarade lugnt att hon var allergisk mot nötter och skaldjur
She calmly explained that she was allergic to nuts and shellfish
'Lugnt' (calmly) reflects the practical, undramatic tone. 'Allergisk mot' uses 'mot' (against) as the preposition — different from English 'to'.
frågade vilka ingredienser som fanns i dagens specialrätt
asked which ingredients were in today's special dish
'Vilka' introduces a list question about multiple items. 'Dagens specialrätt' (today's special dish) is a common restaurant phrase worth memorizing.
rätten innehöll varken nötter eller skaldjur
the dish contained neither nuts nor shellfish
'Varken...eller' is the Swedish neither...nor construction. 'Innehöll' is the past tense of 'innehålla' (to contain).
men att den kunde innehålla spår av mjölk
but that it could contain traces of milk
'Kunde innehålla' = could contain (past/conditional of 'kan'). 'Spår av' (traces of) is standard food labeling language in Swedish.
tackade honom varmt och beställde rätten med gott samvete
thanked him warmly and ordered the dish with a clear conscience
'Med gott samvete' literally means 'with good conscience' — a common Swedish idiom meaning without worry or guilt.
Pattern of the day
One grammar move, explained once, that unlocks dozens of sentences.
Using 'vilka' to ask about specific allergens and ingredients
'Vilka' (which/what) is the plural question word used to ask about multiple items in a list, making it ideal for allergen questions. It is the plural form of the question word paradigm: 'vilken' (common singular), 'vilket' (neuter singular), 'vilka' (plural). When 'vilka' introduces an indirect question embedded inside a sentence, it is followed by a relative clause with 'som'.
Kan du berätta vilka [noun-plural] som [verb] i [dish/product]?
Vilka allergener finns i den här rätten?
Which allergens are in this dish?
Kan du berätta vilka ingredienser som används?
Can you tell me which ingredients are used?
Jag undrar vilka nötter som finns i kakan.
I wonder which nuts are in the cake.
Vet du vilka rätter som är glutenfria?
Do you know which dishes are gluten-free?
Mini practice · 5
Low-pressure, never graded. Just enough to make it stick.
Translate to Swedish: 'Does this dish contain nuts?'
Hint Start with the verb 'innehåller'
Complete the sentence: 'Kan du berätta vilka __________ som finns i soppan?' (ingredients)
Hint Think of the components that make up a dish or recipe: what are they called in Swedish?
What does this mean? 'Jag är allergisk mot gluten och kan inte äta bröd.'
Hint 'Allergisk mot' = allergic to; 'kan inte' = cannot
You want to ask the waiter if the food contains shellfish. Which sentence is correct?
Rewrite using 'vilka' to ask about ingredients: 'Vad finns i kakan?' → ask specifically about ingredients in the cake
Hint 'Vilka' is used when asking about specific items — swap 'vad' for 'vilka + noun'
That’s today’s phraseberry.
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