sans ail
The phrase "no garlic" in French is expressed as sans ail.
This phrase is used to request that food be prepared without the addition of garlic.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the preposition sans (without) and the noun ail (garlic).
Did you know?
- In some traditional French rural contexts, garlic was believed to ward off evil spirits, making the choice to eat sans ail a spiritual decision as well as a culinary one.
- While sans means 'without', it is also the root of the English word 'sans', used in phrases like 'sans serif' in typography. This shows how a common French preposition became a specialized term in English.
- In French cuisine, garlic is often treated as a 'perfume' for the oil rather than an ingredient to be eaten, so sans ail can mean removing the garlic cloves after they have flavored the fat.
Examples in context
- Je voudrais un plat sans ail, s'il vous plaîtI would like a dish without garlic, please
- Pourriez-vous préparer le plat sans ail, s'il vous plaît?Could you prepare the dish without garlic, please?
- Mais pourrais-tu éviter l'ail, s'il te plaît?But could you please avoid garlic?
- Je voudrais ce plat sans ail, s'il vous plaît.I would like this dish without garlic, please.
- Est-ce possible de le préparer sans ail ?Is it possible to prepare it without garlic?
- Pour moi, une salade sans ail.For me, a salad without garlic.
Example conversation
Nathan and Chloé are ordering food at a restaurant.
- NathanJe vais prendre le poulet, mais sans ail.I'll have the chicken, but without garlic.
- ChloéC'est noté, Nathan. Et pour vous, Chloé ?Noted, Nathan. And for you, Chloé?
- ChloéJe voudrais la même chose que lui.I would like the same thing as him.
- NathanN'oubliez pas que c'est sans ail pour nous deux !Don't forget it's without garlic for both of us!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ail, sans, CC BY-SA 4.0.
