lepek
[ˈlɛpɛk]
The English word 'gluten' is translated into Czech as lepek.
lepek is the standard term for the cereal protein found in various grains. In more specific contexts, such as when referring specifically to wheat gluten, you may use the variant pšeničný lepek.
Meaning: cereal protein (noun)
Which one should you use?
While lepek is the standard Czech word, the loanword gluten may also be encountered in scientific or highly technical nutritional contexts.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the preposition bez (without) to express that something is 'gluten-free', the word changes to the genitive form lepku, resulting in the phrase bez lepku.
Did you know?
- While English uses the Latin 'gluten' meaning 'glue', Czech uses a native Slavic root to describe the same adhesive property.
- In Czech, the word lepek shares the same root as the word for 'glue', lepidlo.
- The diminutive suffix -ek in lepek is not being used here to mean 'a little bit of gluten', but is a standard way to turn the action of 'sticking' into a noun.
Examples in context
- Nemůžu jíst lepek.I can't eat gluten.This sentence is useful for stating an inability to eat lepek.Tatoeba #10932824 by aldar, translation #6796857 by Eccles17
- bez lepkuGluten-freeThis phrase is useful for expressing the concept of being 'gluten-free' using lepku.
- Máte něco bez lepku?Do you have anything without gluten?
- Mohu se zeptat, jestli v tomto jídle je lepek?Could I ask if this food contains gluten?
- Bohužel nemůžu jíst potraviny obsahující lepek.Unfortunately, I can't eat foods containing gluten.
- Tento chléb obsahuje lepek.This bread contains gluten.
Example conversation
Lucie and Tomáš are looking at food labels in a grocery store.
- LucieMůžeš mi přečíst složení?Can you read the ingredients to me?
- TomášJe tam přímo napsáno, že obsahuje lepek.It says right there that it contains gluten.
- LucieTo je dobré vědět.That is good to know.
- TomášRaději si vybereme něco jiného.We had better choose something else.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “gluten” translations and entries lepek, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
