sin ajo
/sin axo/from spelling rules
To say no garlic in Spanish, use sin ajo. It means without garlic and is the usual way to ask for food made without it.
Add por favor to make it polite when ordering, as in sin ajo, por favor. A longer request is Me gustaría la comida sin ajo, por favor, I would like the food without garlic, please.
What does it mean word for word?
sin means without and ajo means garlic.
How does it change in a sentence?
ajo stays singular because it names the ingredient in general, even when a dish uses several cloves.
How do you pronounce it?
The j in ajo is a raspy h sound made at the back of the throat.
When do people say it?
If garlic is a health issue, Soy alérgico(a) al ajo, así que por favor no pongas ajo en mi comida. says you are allergic and asks for no garlic in your food.
Did you know?
- The word ajo is believed by some to be a shortened version of the common Spanish profanity carajo. This linguistic connection links a kitchen staple to a much stronger expletive.
- Traditional Spanish folklore suggests that garlic can ward off mal de ojo, known in English as the 'evil eye'.
- In Spanish, the phrase ajo can appear in the idiom no dar ajo, which in some contexts means to not give any trouble or to leave someone alone.
Examples in context
- ¡Gracias por preparar la comida sin ajo!Thank you for preparing the food without garlic!
- Quiero la sopa sin ajo, por favor.I want the soup without garlic, please.
- Quiero la pasta sin ajo, por favor.I want the pasta without garlic, please.
- Soy alérgico, así que lo quiero sin ajo.I am allergic, so I want it without garlic.
- Prepáralo sin ajo para mí.Prepare it without garlic for me.
Example conversation
Daniel and Lucía are ordering food at a restaurant.
- DanielQuiero el pollo asado, por favor.I want the roast chicken, please.
- LucíaMuy bien, ¿lo quiere con ajo?Very well, do you want it with garlic?
- DanielNo, prefiero el pollo sin ajo.No, I prefer the chicken without garlic.
- LucíaEntendido, Daniel. Marchando un pollo sin ajo.Understood, Daniel. One chicken without garlic coming up.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ajo, sin, CC BY-SA 4.0.
