Phrases
56 of 62 communication situations
You have a food allergy and need to communicate it clearly
A simple phrase may not be enough for a serious allergy. Show the phrase, point at the ingredient, and confirm.
Allergies are taken seriously — communicate them clearly.
What you'll see
If you have a real food allergy, a single translated sentence can get lost in translation:
Allergy not clearly understood by the kitchen.
厨房没清楚理解你的过敏。
Severity: L3 (scenario). This is a communication situation, not an app error code.
Why it happens
Waiters may nod without fully grasping the risk. Confirming against the specific dish is what keeps you safe.
Fastest fix, free:
Show “我对[过敏原]过敏” and point at the ingredient; then confirm with “这道菜里有[过敏原]吗？”
Last verified: 2026-09-20 ·
Confidence:
Multiple sources (pending first-hand verification)
The full fix sequence (free)
- Show the allergy phrase, then point at the specific ingredient.
- Ask for confirmation — “这道菜里有[过敏原]吗？”
- Ask for the manager if the waiter seems unsure.
- Carry a translated allergy card listing your allergens in detail.
When phrases alone aren't enough
In the kit
When a phrase alone feels risky, the kit maps each allergen to the exact Chinese to show the kitchen.
1. The lookup table
Allergy and dietary phrases mapped to the dish, so the kitchen understands the risk.
2. The trigger matrix
Which situation needs which phrase.
3. Offline printable version
The whole phrase kit as a printable card.
If nothing works
If you are not confident the message got through:
- Order plain dishes with no sauce and confirm each ingredient.
- Carry an EpiPen and a translated medical card at all times.
- Eat at a chain or hotel where staff are used to allergy requests.
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