tengo alergia al gluten
/tenɡo aleɾxja al ɡluten/from spelling rules
The English phrase "I have a gluten allergy" is expressed in Spanish as tengo alergia al gluten.
This phrase is a statement used to inform others that you cannot eat foods containing gluten for health reasons.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of tengo (I have), alergia (allergy) and al gluten (to the gluten).
Which one should you use?
If the allergy is specifically Celiac disease, it is more common and precise to say soy celíaco (male) or soy celíaca (female).
How does it change in a sentence?
In Spanish, you do not use an indefinite article before alergia in this context. You say tengo alergia rather than tengo una alergia.
How do you pronounce it?
/tenɡo aleɾxja al ɡluten/
Did you know?
- The word alergia in Spanish is a direct loan from the German word Allergie, which itself was coined from Ancient Greek roots.
- In Spain, many menus include a specific sin gluten symbol or section, as the law requires clear labeling for celiacs in restaurants.
- While English uses 'I have' for both, the phrase soy celíaco uses the verb 'to be', treating the condition as a personal characteristic rather than a possession.
Examples in context
- Tengo una alergia al gluten muy fuerte.I have a very strong gluten allergy.
- ¿Este plato tiene gluten?Does this dish have gluten?
- Tengo alergia al gluten, ¿hay algo sin trigo?I have a gluten allergy, is there anything without wheat?
- Lo siento, no puedo comer eso porque tengo alergia al gluten.I'm sorry, I can't eat that because I have a gluten allergy.
- Dígaselo al camarero, que tengo alergia al gluten.Tell the waiter, because I have a gluten allergy.
Example conversation
At a restaurant, Sofia is checking the menu with Daniel.
- SofíaDaniel, ¿sabes si este plato tiene harina?Daniel, do you know if this dish has flour?
- DanielNo estoy seguro, ¿quieres preguntar?I'm not sure, do you want to ask?
- SofíaSí, tengo alergia al gluten y debo tener cuidado.Yes, I have a gluten allergy and I must be careful.
- DanielClaro, yo pregunto al camarero ahora mismo.Of course, I will ask the waiter right now.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries alergia, gluten, CC BY-SA 4.0.
